Nobody Like Your First
by Prologue-9
Summary: Violet City's Pokémon Academy, a boarding school where children and other hopefuls learn to become full-fledged Pokémon Trainers. Whether you want to be there or not, some times you just have to make the best of things. Fayth and Alex have a lot to learn. Read/review.
1. 1: Making a Start

A young girl, age six, clutched the handles of her backpack tightly. She stood at around 4 ft even, with wild black hair and big magenta eyes. All around her stood maybe 150 other students in the main atrium of Violet City's Pokémon Academy, a prestigious boarding school with the sole purpose of preparing individuals for their Pokémon journeys. The girl's name was Fayth. Her mother, a former poacher, sent her to the Academy for two reasons. The first was to help get her used to handling Pokémon, so she'd be able to make it out in the world on her own. The second was because she knew the headmaster, who just so happened to be her ex-husband, was one of the only teachers around who'd be able to work with Fayth's rowdy attitude. The girl hated authorities almost as much as her mother did.

Her eyes scanned here and there, tuning out whatever introductory lecture was being given to the group. The building was the shining attraction of Violet City, with a sort of grandiosity rivaling those of Goldenrod's skyscrapers or even the Burnt Tower. She'd have to stay here for four years, so she might as well learn the layout of this place ASAP. Gotta know where to duck and cover when you're on the run.

"And in Dorm D, room 18, will be Fayth from Mahogony Town, and Alex, joining us from Kanto."

Fayth's ears perked up as she darted her eyes around the room. _Great, looks like I'll be rooming with some snot-nosed boy_ , she thought.

"Well, are we going to grab our keys, or what?" came a vaguely feminine voice from behind her, tapping her shoulder. Fayth turned around, preparing to scowl at whoever was violating the "hands off" rule, instead looking at the kid with an expression of bewilderment. 'Alex' was a foot taller than Fayth, with dark skin, straight red hair and mahogany eyes to match. Admittedly, she looked like she could pass for either, as most kids tended to, and the deadpan expression she looked at her with didn't help sell it.

"Aren't you a weird one," Fayth thought to herself, dismissively shoving aside the other kids as she and her roommate obtained their keys. After they slipped back into the crowd, she resumed her act of tuning the speaker out. "Kanto, huh? What's a city kid like you doing all the way out here in Johto?"

Alex shrugged, ignoring the girl's stereotyping. "Actually, we live out on the countryside, kind of isolated. As for why I'm here, Mom insisted it. You know, the usual-"

"'Get out and make some friends' trash?" Fayth finished for her, crossing her arms. "You don't look like the social type."

"...yeah, that's it," Alex said, still keeping from making eye contact, shifting uncomfortably from Fayth's constant staring.

"Hmph. Figures," Fayth blew, blowing a curl of hair out of her eyes. "My mom didn't think I was ready to go out on my journey, DESPITE her giving me the two most powerful Pokémon like, _ever_."

"Really?" Alex asked, looking at her for once and raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" Fayth boasted, putting on an extravagant pose. "And since YOU'RE my rival now, that means you'll get to see when we cream you tomorrow in the entrance exams!"

"Exams?" Alex asked, crossing her arms as well and tilting her head.

"You must pay as little attention to them as I do. I like that, Alex." She stretched out, resting her arms back holding her backpack straps. "Tomorrow, everyone in our class has a one on one battle against their roommate so the teachers know what we're coming to the table with. The newbies get their starter Pokémon, but the ones with their own already get to use them!"

"So I could use Lex here," Alex mused, looking at the Pokéball attached to her belt.

"You could use whatever you want," Fayth shrugged, a confident smile plastered across her face. "It's not gonna help you with what _I'm_ bringing, though!"

"If you say so." This 'roommate' thing was already turning out to be amusing, if anything.

Before long, all the students were separated into four different classrooms, which meant four different dormitories across the school. Fayth and Alex stuck to eachother, partially out of obligation, and partially because they'd already grown on each other. Maybe these four years wouldn't be so bad after all.

. . .

"...Dad? What are YOU doing here?!"

Professor Earl Jr let out a hearty chuckle, scooping up Fayth in a tight bear hug, much to her annoyance as she struggled against him. The man was tall and lean, with green eyes and jet black hair that Alex could see Fayth got her's from. He looked to be relatively young for a professor, maybe in his 30s at best, and going off what her mom told her about his father, she wondered how they could possibly have been related. "Good to see you too, Fayth!" He set the embarrassed girl down, small face almost as red as the boots she wore. Alex couldn't help but smirk as she watched the scene before her. "Didn't your mom tell you? I'm the headmaster of Violet City's Pokémon Academy!" He gave a proud thumbs up, stretching his arms out. "Ahh, don't look so dreaded, _promise_ I won't stay on your case too much. Don't expect that to make passing any easier, though!"

Fayth groaned, setting her bag down on the bench where all of their classmates and teachers sat. They were in one of Class D's four Pokémon gyms, huge indoor arenas where trainers could battle and, well, train, without causing harm to any other parts of the school. The pair had sat through almost the entire class' sets of admittedly underwhelming battles, snacks and lunch in-between, and in about half an hour it would finally be time for their match. Neither of them had been in a Pokémon battle before, but, everyone had _some_ sort of exposure.

"Well, _Dad_ , I do have _one_ request."

"You know I can't play favoritism, would probably look bad on my record."

"No no it's not like that, just...I want to have a _double_ battle with Alex, so I can show off _both_ of my Pokémon!"

He thought about it for a moment, grinning and shaking his head. "You really are your father's kid, aren't ya? Sure, I don't see why not. Alex, got your own Pokémon yet?"

"Just one, sir."

He looked up at Fayth as she used the age-old puppy eyes trick. He sighed and looked back at Alex.

"How's an Eevee sound? We've still got plenty of time to hatch it!"

. . .

"Lex, Nile, come on out!" Called Alex as she tossed her Pokéballs into the field. The first revealed a Charmander, which nodded back at Alex and faced Fayth, entering a defensive pose. Out of the other came her brand new Eevee, which yawned as it prepared itself. It copied Alex's nonchalant demeanor and appeared as if it was just ready to get things over with.

Fayth grinned. "Star, Skye, let's tear it up!" She threw her Pokéballs in a cross formation, and after a moment, they opened simultaneously. There was a bright flash, and much to the bewilderment of the crowd, a dark, grey Onix and red Gyarados appeared. The two creatures were enormous, towering over the battlefield and almost casting half of it in shadow. Their roars shook the very ground. Fayth wasn't able to tell if her heart was beating faster because she was excited, or because a seed of doubt had begun to sprout. "It _has_ to work this time, it just _has_ to..." She took a deep breath, and looked her opponent in the eye.

"They're...impressive, Fayth," Alex called, looking the larger-than-average serpents over. Something wasn't right about them. When she looked into Lex's eyes for the first time, or even Nile's for the few moments they'd had together, she saw creatures who wanted to give their best both for their trainers and for themselves. The way Lex bent his knees, waving his tail, clearly nervous but ready to battle for his trainer. Or how Nile stood up and gave Fayth's serpents a glare, ready not just to protect itself but to protect Alex, who imprinted on her the minute she hatched from her egg.

But the Onix and Gyarados...they hardly so much as gave Fayth a passing glance. The Gyarados, Skye as Fayth called it, looked merely agitated, annoyed. It was pecking at its partner, Star, who seemed afraid of it, and above that more concerned of its own safety than with the battle or with Fayth even. Alex could feel her own heart beginning to race, not because she was eager to battle, but because she could tell the girl was in trouble.

"Get ready Alex," Fayth shouted, snapping Alex out of her trance. "...cause you're about to get the thrashing of a life-"

The girl was cut off by the sound of Skye's tail crashing into her and knocking her across the field. There was a disturbing crack echoing in the air, followed by the piercing screeches of the children in the audience. Gyarados and Onix broke out into a fight, rolling over one-another on the ground as stray Hyper Beams scorched the battlefield and Earthquakes rattled it. Teachers began herding the frightened children inside as hysteria broke out across the gym. Alex felt compelled to dash forward, go grab her friend, just do _something_ , but the beasts were gigantic, and clearly powerful. To risk getting close could not only endanger her life, but the lives of her Pokémon as well. She felt useless, and was suddenly thrust to the ground, the booming buzz of a Hyper Beam soaring just over her head. She blinked to see Professor Earl Jr running out in front of her, calling out...Dragonite?

"Dragonite, _Ice Beam!_ " The creature roared as a cyan ray burst from its mouth, crackling as it collided with the thrashing Pokémon. Their movements began to grind to a screeching halt as frost overtook their bodies, pained and infuriated roars being the final sounds they made before being frozen solid. Earl hurriedly ran past them, locating a pair of Pokéballs on the ground. "Onix, Gyarados, **return**!" His voice boomed with the ferocity of Dragonite, who flew readily around the frozen serpents, making sure neither of them would break out. They once again flashed a bright white, de-materializing into the familiar red streams as they were returned to their Pokéballs. Dragonite...it was known as a protector back in Kanto...to think things were no different out here.

Alex thrust herself to her feet, running toward the twitching body on the opposite side of the gym. Lex and Nile were right behind her, and in no time they caught up to the professor. He was on his knees looking over the girl who swore under shivers and tears, only repeating _why won't they listen, why won't they listen...  
_

"Is...is she okay?" Alex asked, unable to mask the adrenaline and concern in her voice. The professor sighed.

"Her arm is broken and she's in shock, but thank Arceus that's all. Go get the Joys!"

She nodded and dashed off.

. . .

"I don't know what Belle was thinking, giving a kid those beasts," the professor had thought aloud the day of the incident. He and Alex alone had waited patiently in the waiting room of the school's infirmary. He buried his hands in his face, sighing and rubbing out his wrinkles. "Belle...Belle, Fayth's mom. She used to poach before she settled down," he explained. Alex sat beside him listening intently. "She used to capture and steal all kinds of rare and exotic Pokémon, and whatever she didn't sell, she added to her own personal collection." He lightened his frown. "When she decided to turn over a new leaf, she got good at battling and training them instead. She was amazing." He went silent for a few minutes, and then suddenly, as if he weren't able to contain it, said "You'd think she'd have taught her daughter _something_ before handing her Pokémon like _that_."

Alex had leaned back in the chair, running the professor's words back and forth. "Why aren't Fayth's Pokémon trained then, if her mom is such a good trainer?" she asked, stroking Nile's fur as it lazed in her lap. It was calming for the both of them. Lex sat next to her, the Charmander's legs unable to keep from swinging. It felt the distress in the air.

"They might not recognize Fayth as someone worth listening to yet. Even if they are her Pokémon now, chances are she'll have to prove herself to them before they're ready to listen to a damn thing she has to say. You have to remember, Onix and Gyarados are powerful Pokémon." He mulled over it in his head. "Still, it's not at all common for Pokémon to attack their new trainers, even accidentally." The professor blew, scratching his chin with his thumb. "Belle might not have trained them at all, and decided to leave that part to Fayth." He sighed and shook his head. "She's going to have to start with something a little easier...I have a few Pokémon eggs that'll be able to hatch in a few days. They should keep her company. As for _these_..."

"You're not going to take her Pokémon, are you?"

"It wouldn't do her any good to keep using _them_ , don't you think? Next time she might lose more than just an arm."

"It also wouldn't do any good separating her from her Pokémon. You said she has to prove herself to them, right? How is she gonna do that when she doesn't even have them to train with? And you can't just _take_ somebodies Pokémon away, that makes you no better than Team Rocket." Alex wasn't looking at him anymore. She bit her lip in spite of her little outburst. Sure, Star and Skye were dangerous, and they weren't trained...but Pokémon are companions, partners, even family to some. And, if she understood correctly, those two were Fayth's only connection back home. Alex knew she kept her's close.

The professor simply looked at the pouting child, obviously worked up. He chuckled with tired eyes. "You're a smart kid, you know that? Your mom must have raised you well." He reached into his coat and pulled out two Pokéballs, observing them and twirling them between his fingers. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Professor," Alex said, swinging her legs idly.

The professor opened his mouth and then paused, as if he was trying to find the right way to ask. "You and my daughter have known each other for about a day now, right?" She nodded. "Most kids would have gone back to their business, pretending none of this ever happened and carried on being kids. Can't blame them. But _you've_ chosen to stay at her side all day, even sticking up for her." Alex didn't respond. "I can tell by the way you hold that Eevee that you've got a knack for protecting things, don't you? So, I'm going to ask you. If I give you these to give back to Fayth, do you truly believe you can help her tame them?" Alex looked up at the professor. His face was serious, and in some way, almost hopeful.

She flashed back to sight of the giant creatures thrashing about on the ground, to the chilling _crack_ that seemed to pierce every other sound in the gym. But most importantly, she thought of the terrified face Fayth made, plagued with uncertainty...and how it reminded her of her own the day she met Lex. She was alone, lost and frightened, far too deep into a forest she should've known better than to explore. All she could do was sit there against the tree, face in her knees as she cried. It was dark and she didn't believe she'd ever make it back home, back to safety, to clarity...until _it_ appeared. It was a Charmander, no taller than she was all balled up against the tree. Its tail burned with a warming brightness that seemed to put out the little girl's tears. It smiled at her, offering its arm. Together, by his light, he led her back out of the forest, and stayed at her side even when they made it back home. She looked over at the big doors they rolled Fayth through. Maybe now it was _her_ turn to be Lex.

"There isn't a doubt in my mind, Professor."

. . .

"Well, look at the bright side. You got two new Pokémon and an excuse from written assignments."

"Like I was gonna do those anyway," Fayth scoffed, twirling Star and Skye's Pokéballs in her free arm, just as her father did, Alex noticed. The other was still in its cast and arm sling, as it had been for the last several weeks. On either of her shoulders rested a Pichu and an Igglybuff, whom she named Ruff and Tuff after their personalities. They'd taken almost as much care of her since she got them as Alex did. In a way, they'd been just as much her helpers as they were Alex's, who took responsibility for making sure her friend recovered alright. The blow Fayth took from her Gyarados had hurt a few bones in her legs, too, so getting around wasn't going to be as easy for a few months. She didn't make a big deal out of it, though when she had the strength to practice, it was Ruff and Tuff she used.

"Either way, there's a test tomorrow, and it's my job to find out whether or not you've been listening to all this review we've been going over," Alex said nonchalantly, sitting on the bed beside her roommate and unpacking her notes. Fayth groaned, leaning back and setting the balls on the table beside the bed.

"Okay _Mom_ , since you've got me held hostage here anyway." Ruff and Tuff hopped down from her shoulders facing Alex and mimicking Fayth, Tuff sticking her tounge out and Ruff slouched over.

"Whatever guys," Alex said with a slight smile, waving the two off. "Alright, first part is Immunities." She straightened the stack of papers, crossing her legs. "Electric type attacks won't do anything against..."

"Ground types. Ruff's Thundershock can't touch Mindy's Cubone," Fayth muttered lazily, causing Ruff's cheeks to spark a little in annoyance remembering that battle.

"Good. Conversely, Ground-type attacks won't affect..."

"Flying types. Like when Mindy's Cubone got toootally destroyed by Akner's Pidgey," Fayth chuckled, Ruff and Tuff following suit.

"And Mrs. Fuji said you never pay attention," Alex said, a grin on her face as she turned to the next page.

"Sure, maybe not to **_her_**. But...you're different, Alex. I like...this, you being here for me and stuff. It's nice." Fayth looked away, embarrassed that she felt all mushy. Alex looked at her for a minute, the grin turning itself into a smile.

"It is, isn't it?"

Ruff and Tuff bumped elbows looking at the two of them, giggling and making Fayth blush.

"Aaanyway," she started, bumping the two with her leg making them laugh. "Pret-ty sure I'll be acing that test." She took notice to a Dragonite plush hanging out the side of Alex's bag. "Cute doll," she remarked nonchalantly, hoping to get a bit of a reaction out of her roommate.

"Oh, that." Alex rushedly stuffed the doll back in her bag, only embarrassing herself further with the hasty action. Fayth couldn't help but giggle at seeing her usually-stoic friend flustered. "Shut it," Alex said, attempted to sink back into her deadpan nature. "It's...special."

"Pfft, I'm not laughing at the doll, Alex," Fayth teased, poking her friend in the shoulder. "I used to collect Princess Day dolls all the time. See?" She pulled open the door to the table at her side, digging for a moment before pulling out a Clefairy doll adorned with the fashions of one of Ecruteak City's Kimono Girls. Tuff growled at it, apparently jealous, and made a show of reaching for it as Fayth waved it around in the air. "They kept me company when Mom was away doing business and Pokémon stuff. Which, tended to be pretty often." She gave and let Tuff play around with it, smirking when she suplexed the poor thing. "So what's your story?"

Alex smiled again, taking the plush Dragonite out of her bag and laying next to her roommate, staring up at the ceiling. "Feel like listening to a story?"

"Of course!" Fayth laid back as well, gazing alongside her Pokémon.

"Well...you already know I came here from Kanto. My mom owns a farm there, and for the most part it's pretty peaceful. But she isn't really _from_ Kanto...before she moved here and had me, she was a famous contest performer in a place called Hoenn. They used to call her Ms. Rayquaza the Serpent Master, because she was as fierce as a dragon and only used serpent Pokémon, like Milotic."

"Rayquaza's a pretty weird name. And what's a Milotic?"

"Oh, both are Pokémon from Hoenn...they don't seem to be around here. And Mom said Rayquaza was the fiercest dragon of them all, who only appeared when the world was in danger. Anyway, one of the Pokémon she always used was a Dragonair named Roxy. Those are native here in Johto and Kanto, right?"

"Yeah, they're super-rare though. My mom showed me a pink one before. Wait, so if she was a star performer over in this Hoenn place, why give all that up for a farm?"

"I guess it was for me. She released all of her Pokémon before coming here, except for Roxy, cause she just wouldn't go away. Then, a few years after I was born, Roxy evolved into Dragonite, and we grew really close." She hugged the doll tightly. "So I carry this doll around to keep her close to me, even while I'm all the way over here."

"That's...pretty cool," Fayth mused, seeing it all clear as day in the navy ceiling above them. A mother willing to give up on everything to be with her daughter, a serene, isolated place in the countryside with Pokémon to watch over you. She would've felt jealous, but all she could do was smile knowing that lives like that existed, even if only for other people. "Hey Alex?"

"What's up?"

"Remind me I owe you something when we get out of here. Promise."

Alex knew better than to try arguing with her. "Alright, promise."


	2. 2: Cracking Doors

"Don't worry gals, I believe in ya. Let's show Alex size only matters when you're fully grown, yeah?" Fayth bumped fists with her two partners, Ruff, a Pichu, and Tuff, an Igglybuff, as they jumped off her shoulders. The two Baby Pokémon danced around each other, finishing off by pumping their arms and bumping tails. "Chu!" "Iggly!"

"We can't underestimate them just because they're small. All three of them, really," she added, smirking as she looked over at her short friend. "Stay on guard." Her Charmander, Lex, made a show of cracking his knuckles, and Nile, her Eevee, snickered seeing the Charmander jump up and down in pain after realizing his mistake. They both readied themselves, facing their opponents from across the battlefield. Ruff and Tuff made silly faces at the two, giggling at Lex's confusion and Nile's annoyance.

The Nurse Joy filling in for the gym chaperone smiled at the eagerness on both sides. "This battle will be a two on two. The match is over when both of either contestant's Pokémon are unable to battle. Ready?"

Although Fayth's arm wasn't quite done recovering, she'd been more active as of late than during the first two months after the incident. She never missed out on an opportunity to watch Alex train or practice against one of the other students. With the help of Alex, and her new companions, Fayth had quickly caught up to speed in the battling department. She didn't know if it was thanks to her best friend and closest rival, or if Pokémon just ran through their genes, but she and Alex had both seemed to have a natural talent. The two could talk strategies and techniques for hours on end, despite neither of them having been much of talkers before. And when it came to battling, few matches were as exciting as theirs.

Often they'd even attract small audiences, both students and teachers. On a few occasions even Professor Earl Jr. would take the time out to watch them. Many students always complained that Pokémon Battles could be so dull when they were in their first stages of evolution, but as the Professor always said, a battle's excitement was entirely dependent on the passion between Trainer and Pokémon, and when it came to these two? They were _full_ of it.

"Ready," Alex confirmed, smiling and crossing her arms.

"Same here," Fayth called, giving a thumbs up with her free arm. Ruff and Tuff fist pumped and pointed at their rivals, more than ready to get the fray going.

"Then, let the match begin!"

Alex was first to react. "Nile, Helping Hand, Lex, use Scratch on Ruff!" The Eevee lazily clapped her paws together, just enough to fill Lex with the extra strength he needed. He rushed toward the Pichu on the other end of the field, claws beginning to glow.

 _Thought you might do that_ , Fayth thought to herself, smirking. "Tuff, intercept it with Defense Curl!" The Igglybuff sucked in a gulp of air and inflated, moving in front of Lex and deflecting his attack. "Now, Ruff, use Sweet Kiss!"

"Lex, get out of the way! Nile, get up close and use Tackle!" Lex hopped backward, expecting the Pichu to attack from the side, only to feel a curious tapping on his shoulder.

" _Chuu~"_

"Chaaar..."

Ruff giggled observing the dazed and confused Charmander, not noticing Nile rapidly approaching to her side. The Eevee rammed into her knocking her back a few feet. The Pichu shook her head, steadying herself as she slid back next to Tuff. "Playing Rough, are we?" Fayth asked, bending over and snickering at her own pun. "Ruff, use Charm on Nile! Tuff, Copycat!"

"Lex, snap out of it and use Smokescreen!"

"Chaarmanderr..." It half-understood her, breathing out a cloud of smog that covered the field. Unfortunately, this meant _none_ of them could see clearly. Ruff was able to find her mark, using Charm and posing suggestively in front of Nile, lowering her will to fight. Tuff ended up using it on Lex instead, who was just snapping out of his confusion.

"Well played," Alex commented, striking her hand forward. "Lex, clear the smoke with Ember!"

A flame burst from the Charmander's mouth as he span around, revealing the field once more. "Now, Lex, use Ember, Nile Helping Hand!" What was once a puny stream of fire erupted into a full on torrent, threatening to burn Ruff and Tuff to smithereens.

"Tuff, use Copycat!" called Fayth, grinning with the rush of adrenaline. The Igglybuff again intercepted, firing its own Ember back at the duo. The two streams of fire roared and crackled against one another in a struggle, Lex's beginning to easily overpower Tuff's. "Ruff, get in there and help with your Thundershock!" The Pichu nodded, dashing to her partner's side and adding its electric attack to the mix, pushing the stream farther from them and back to the center.

"Chuuuu!"

The battlefield was ablaze, lighting the dimly-lit gym with a fantastic glow.

"Nile, Helping Hand! You have to push through!" Lex's flame erupted into a spiral of fire, to the point of almost looking like...

"Lex...use FLAMETHROWER!"

" _ChaaaARRR!_ "

The emission was massive, looking as if it rivaled what would come out of a Charizard. Ruff and Tuff pushed harder, and just as it looked as if the unstoppable Flamethrower would overtake them, the Pichu's cheeks began to light up the brightest they'd ever had.

"No way! Ruff, use THUNDERBOLT!"

" _Piiii...CHUUUUUU!"_

The one puny jolt of electricity burst into a bolt of lightning, and with the aide of Tuff's Copycat using _it_ instead, the combined attacks pierced straight through the stream of fire, exploding violently in the center. Both parties were sent flying across the arena, covered in smoke.

"Ruff, Tuff!"

"Lex, Nile!"

What took only a few seconds felt like hours as they waited for dust to clear, not having the time to breath. And then...

Ruff and Tuff were collapsed on the ground, KO'd.

As were Lex and Nile.

"All four Pokémon are unable to battle! The match has been declared a _draw!_ "

Both trainers ran into the field.

"Lex, Nile, amazing job. Take a good rest."

"Cooo," went Nile. Lex simply gave a weak thumbs up, and the two returned to their Poké Balls.

"Ruff, Tuff, that was _wicked!_ You guys can relax."

The two limply gave each other a high-five, returning as well.

Fayth and Alex walked up to each other, nothing but the fire of passion in their eyes. They shook hands firmly.

"I'll get you next time, Alley," Fayth said, a stupid smirk across her face that both of them shared.

"That'll be the day."

The Joy congratulated the two, taking them to go heal their Pokemon.

. . .

Violet City's Pokémon Academy had a certain structure to it. Each year was split up into four different class designations. 1st year students were put into the 'Novice' class, where Fayth and Alex started off. Afterward came 'Trainer', followed by 'Gym Leader' and finally 'Elite.' These titles were all more or less superfluous; even though they'd all technically be adults at 10, the idea of a trainer just starting out becoming a Gym Leader or Elite Four member was laughable.

The Novice year mostly involved lectures and tests, both written and physical, as the new trainers were given time to grow into the idea. There would occasionally be competitions between the four groups of classes, and every now and then an Elite Four member or Gym Leader would come to the school to meet the children, on rare occasions even the Champion would show up. The Professor had figured it was a good way to give the kids something to aspire to, and even though Fayth had said she wasn't buying it, the more Gym Leaders she talked to, the more appealing the idea was.

On some nights she'd keep Alex awake, going on and on about all her different ideas for what her - or later, their, gym would be like. "It would be _all_ about the Double Battles," she'd say as they lay looking into the ceiling, and into the stars when they'd graduated to the Trainer Class, and were permitted to leave campus so long as they were back by curfew. Of course, they never were, but they were always able to sneak back in before anyone noticed. "It'd have this whole duality thing to it, like a fire and ice thing, with a lavafall on one side and a waterfall on the other, and at the end? You'd have to fight Gym Leaders Fayth and Alex, toughest Leaders in the region!"

"What about the newbies?" Alex would ask, chuckling from her partner's usual enthusiasm.

"We'll CRUSH 'em!" she'd respond, smashing her fist into her hand and fake-laughing diabolically, causing the two to dissolve into hysterical laughter, joined in by their Pokémon. For Alex, this meant Lex and Nile, who'd evolved into Charmeleon and Vaporeon respectively, in addition to Killer G, a musical Ghastly she'd caught on a field trip, and DDDD, a Machop who'd challenged her personally to a fierce wrestling match. Fayth, on the other hand, still only used Ruff and Tuff, who'd evolved into Pikachu and Jigglypuff. Small as they were in comparison to some of the other students' Pokémon, they'd won more battles than she could count, and as a result had in time shifted Fayth and Alex's reputations to being some of the most promising trainers in the class.

All that said, ever since Fayth had finished healing, she and Alex had been training to try and gain control over Star and Skye. They were bestowed upon her, and if she had anything to prove, it was that she could tame them. Time and time again however, nothing the either of them did could get them to listen. There just didn't seem to be any trust between them. She'd hoped that by constantly improving as a Trainer they'd come to accept her, but this never seemed to be the case. At the very least, they no longer immediately fought and thrashed about. Her father figured they might've felt remorseful at causing her injury. Not enough to take any commands, apparently. Ruff and Tuff had listened to her fine since she'd hatched them. In their case though, she'd vowed to take care of them the best she could...a way of making up for her own failures. Inevitably they might have taken more care of _her_ during her recovery. Belle didn't exactly set a great example for proper child care, but Alex's mom, Alexis, sure did. Fayth bet that together, her and Alex had poured more into them than Belle ever did for her…

 _That was it._

Once again, Class D's fourth Gym was theirs to use. At this point, all it took was a simple request, and aside from a few knuckleheads, most students would let them have at it, if they didn't feel like spectating, that is. A number of Class D's top competitors were in the audience today, as was Professor Earl Jr, and by his request, two Officer Jennies. They all knew the story - almost everyone in the academy did by now. In the case of their classmates, some had sworn themselves to being bodyguards for the two whenever Fayth was about to attempt taming the beasts. Every one of their classmates was looking forward to seeing what the short kid in black could do with those serpents under control. In Fayth's eyes now, however, maybe control wasn't what she was after.

"Fayth...you sure about this?" Alex asked, Lex and Nile following her as always, the other two Pokéballs clutched tightly in her hands. They'd gone at this many times before, and when it came to them, you never knew what to expect. They had their fair share of close calls.

"It's gonna be either now or never. Everyone else has their 3rd and 4th team members by now anyway...you know I HATE playing catch-up, Alley." Ruff and Tuff swallowed. Even they, who were known as the fearless, tiny titans, had always felt intimidated by Fayth's serpents whenever they got the chance to see them. They were huge, larger than most in their species even.

"Well, you know we have your back." The whole party nodded.

"You can do it!" "You got this, Fayth!" "Watch out for her, Aleeex!" All support from their classmates. The two looked up and locked eyes with the Professor, who gave them a stern nod. A Friend Ball was clutched between his hands. Dragonite. _This is gonna be the one,_ Fayth thought to herself. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

" **Star, Skye, come on out!** "

The Ultra Balls hatched open in the middle of the field, encasing the gym in that same, blinding flash of light that had become a signal for imminent danger. As the Onix and Gyarados appeared, from the depths of their throats came colossal roars, rumbling the gym itself as they gazed down upon the tiresome child who had summoned them.

This time, she didn't immediately command them to stop. She didn't call Ruff over to try and calm Skye down with a hard-hitting Thunderbolt. Instead, she stood there, looking them both in the eyes. No one moved, and the tension in the gym made the scene feel like a painting...frozen in time. Fayth's face wasn't stern or demanding like it had been whenever she called them out. Her pose wasn't challenging. Her soft, relaxed eyes remained locked upon the two wyrm, and she slowly began to walk toward them.

Alex's face, as did everyone in the audience's, began pouring with sweat. This nearly eight year old girl, standing no taller than 4'5 and weighing hardly 90 pounds, was approaching those who'd been labelled the most unpredictable creatures in the entire school...not battling them, not trying to show them who was dominant...but trying to _connect_.

"Hey dudes," she said, acknowledging them as she stood only a few feet away. Skye quietly roared, almost moving back a little. Star had loosely coiled around her counterpart, and both of them cautiously observed the child. That was it...this was entirely new for them. In her time thus far at the Pokémon Academy, both alongside Alex and Pokémon she raised herself, Fayth had come to realize that bonds weren't forged upon obligation alone. A pair had to stand as equals before they could truly understand what the other felt. Right now, Fayth understood. Belle hadn't ever gotten to _know_ too many of the hundreds of Pokémon she captured. To her, they were always just a means to an end, whether that meant protection, profit...or if they were just another of the outcomes of a few bad decisions. The ones she didn't train herself remained feeling confused, neglected, maybe even abandoned. They were expected to hold to a standard when put on the spotlight, and that's it. To them, Fayth had been no more than another authority trying to control them. Always more concerned with what _she_ wanted to do than what they needed. And boy, did she know _that_ feeling.

"You know what we have in common, girls?" Fayth asked, holding her arms out wide. "We _hate_ authorities."

In the eyes of everyone present at the time, there wasn't any reason Fayth shouldn't have lost her life right then and there. All it would've took was a Hyper Beam, or for Star to coil around her and squeeze her into pulp. But as their eyes were locked, a mutual understanding was met. Maybe they weren't so different after all.

. . .

Fayth lay leaning against Star, watching the clouds. They were in the school's incredibly spacious park, right outside in the back. It was mostly Gym Leader and Elite classes that chose to eat their lunches outside, but Trainer class students were allowed as well. They were warned that the upperclassmen were known to pick on the younger kids, but Fayth went where she pleased. Besides, who was gonna threaten the girl who cuddled with a giant Onix and Gyarados? Ruff and Tuff were at her sides, taking it easy. It was just starting to transition into Fall. The days grew cooler, the leaves were beginning to take change, filling forests and surrounding trees with oranges and reds. There was hardly a sound to be heard outside of the grass swaying with the wind, and the occasional flocks of Pokémon passing by overhead.

Over the last few weeks since Fayth, Star and Skye had started to get along, they'd learned a lot about one another. Star was the most affectionate of the two. It seemed as if ever since Belle hatched her egg, she'd hardly touched her. Once Fayth and Star became comfortable around another, Fayth quickly imprinted on her. The Onix was always looking to be stroked or pet or cuddled, something that Fayth had to be careful about considering her enormous size. After satisfying her, Fayth noticed Star tended to be amusingly defensive whenever she commented on her needs. Ruff and Tuff liked to make fun of her for it, and her reactions were even able to get a chuckle out of Skye.

Skye was clearly the older of the two, though not by a whole lot. She was more reserved, and while she was more or less comfortable around Fayth, Fayth could tell she didn't trust her all the way yet. Skye reminded her a lot of herself, come to think of it. For starters, both of them had a total disregard for people who tried enforcing the rules. Every now and then there would be an enforcer or teacher who'd make a comment about having Pokémon that big out in the open, and following a glare from the colossal creature, they would quickly add on that they'd make an exception for her, since she was 'such an exceptional student.' Both of them almost always had the munchies, and had a habit of snagging abandoned lunches when people weren't looking if it meant getting full. And they both got a kick out of getting back at people they didn't like, whether that meant tripping them, eating their homework, getting them framed...essentially, they bonded through their delinquency.

Fayth squinted her eyes, shading them from the sun as she glanced at the silhouette approaching her, nonchalantly carrying her lunch tray, a Charmeleon and Vaporeon at her sides. Fayth grinned, laying back and closing her eyes. "What took ya so long, Alley? I thought _I_ was the fashionably late one. All that 'bad influence' stuff I get from Mrs. Fuji might be right after all, ey girls?" All four of her Pokémon chuckled lightly, Skye giving Alex a major cowlick as she approached. If it were anyone else she would've walked the other way, but Fayth had always been the one who could get a smile out of her, whether she tried to or not.

Perhaps, some of Fayth had rubbed off on her since they'd started here. Alex had never been the expressive type before she got here. She did as was told and stayed to herself. But being around Fayth, she began to speak her mind more often, usually impulsively which tended to surprise her. All Fayth would do is laugh whenever Alex would get self-aware after an outburst. "It's only healthy," she would say. For the first year and most of the second she'd wear the childish clothes and straight hair her mom would always have her, but as she grew more and more expressive and independent, she bought her own clothes and let her crimson hair grow wild. She wore letter jackets and jeans, got used to saying whatever was on her mind, and her and Fayth had become two of the notorious kids in the Trainer class.

"It okay if I sit here?" she asked Tuff, who'd just gulped down another slice of pizza. Tuff looked at her smugly, beckoning for her to pay up. Alex rolled her eyes, tossing the Jigglypuff her three cookies, and she happily floated over on Fayth's other side, as she and Ruff play fought over the snacks. Alex sat down by her friend, waiting for Star's nod before leaning back and enjoying the view. Lex decided to join Ruff and Tuff in their scuffle, Nile rolling her eyes as she lay down and watched.

"Man, this is always the best time of the year," Fayth sighed, entirely content with life. "Almost no tests to study for, no assignments due, and nothing but time to unwind."

"Implying that you study, or do any homework," said Alex, chuckling as she took a bite out of her Pomeg berry.

Fayth shrugged. "Guilty as charged."

The clouds passed on by, once again covering the setting sun.

"Hey, _Trainer Class_ kids!"

Alex and Fayth nonchalantly gazed up at heavy-set upperclassman peering down at them. As tough as he was trying to come off, his legs were somewhat quivering, and a few of Fayth and Alex's classmates could be seen sitting at benches off behind them, snickering. One of them gave the two a wink and a thumbs up, pointing at some of the other Gym Leader and Elite class members taking notice.

Fayth pulled up her pink and black striped hat that'd become her signature from over her eyes, and Alex flipped her hair, taking the last bite out of her berry as the two stood up, looking up at him with amused expressions.

"Word on the wire is that you two's think you're tough!" He pulled a pair of Pokéballs out from his jacket. "I challenge you _both_ to a Double Battle! My Golem and Scyther are gonna **squash** you!"

Both Fayth and Alex glanced at each other, unamused. "Hey Skye," Fayth asked, looking back at the resting Gyarados. She peeked open an eye. "This guy thinks he can squash us. What do you think about that?" Skye merely smiled, slithering out from under Star and rising up tall, roaring loudly and scaring away flocks of Spearow from the surrounding forest. She cast a shadow over the group, and Lex, cookie in hand, stretched out and stood by her, crossing his arms.

"You sure, Fayth? She hasn't exactly _battled_ before," Alex said, crossing her arms as well.

"Maybe not," she shrugged, rubbing Skye's side, prompting her to lower down and give her a lick to match Alex's. Fayth giggled. "But she hates being shown up just as much as I do. 'sides, she won't be going overboard anymore...we worked something out. So Alex, remember when you asked me what we'd do to newbies in our gym?" She pounded her fist into her hand. Alex grinned, cracking her knuckles.

. . .


	3. 3: A Little Rivalry

Fayth and Alex had seen plenty of wins and plenty of losses. Sure, both were exceptional trainers for their ages, but like everyone else, every now and again they got knocked down a few pegs. They'd even been sweeped before on several occasions - they'd play it off as having been an off day or whatever, but fact of the matter was that under no circumstances were they unbeatable. If you saw them battle often enough, you'd notice they both had some pretty bad habits. Fayth, for example, was known to be too flashy for her own good, especially when it came to the final move. At base level, sure, she was solid - but then some of that overconfidence would kick in and she'd try going for all kinds of crazy combinations and strategies. Yeah, sometimes they could be clever, but they could be _just_ as costly. One bad misstep and she'd end up in some nasty situations.

When it came to Alex, it you really wanted to beat her, challenge her the same day after she had a bad loss - if she hated anything, it was losing. So much so that just one that didn't end on a really close note at least would leave her distracted and irritable, trying to figure out what went wrong, and trying to make up for it ASAP. Maybe it came from hanging out with her confident punk partner, but Alex seemed to think there was never any reason she should lose a match, and when she _did,_ her game would be off until that attitude wore off. Most of the time Fayth had a way of making her lighten up, but until then, she was a loose cannon. If she managed to get the upper hand in a battle during one of her spells, she could get pretty carried away, being merciless at times. It worried her star Pokémon, Lex, but last thing he wanted to do was get on her bad side.

One weakness the both of them had in common was that neither of them had gotten the hang of battling more defensive, campy styles. Although they hated admitting it, they had lost a fair few matches against the likes of Shuckle, Snorlax and Venusaur. After being waited out long enough they'd begin recklessly throwing out attacks, and that's when matches would be decided. It was a learning process, as was everything when it came to Pokémon.

Around came the academy's annual winter break, though, and that meant everybody had a good three weeks to just relax outside of the school and enjoy themselves. Some chose to stay at the academy and take advantage of all the extra room, others went home to family to show their parents everything they'd learned so far. As for our girls, Fayth decided she wanted a taste of Kanto, and her dad was happy to supply the magnet train pass - better she be with Alex and her mother instead of Belle, in his eyes.

" _Arceus,_ it feels _good_ walking outta that gate," Fayth exclaimed, yawning and stretching out. The snow started to fall a week earlier, not as common in Johto as it was in Sinnoh to the north. Violet City was covered in white, snow adorning the city's traditional violet rooftops and blanketing the stone pathways that made out the roads. Even the colossal Sprout Tower sported a snowy hairdo. Alex and Fayth were dressed in winter gear acquired a month prior, Alex's courtesy of her mother, Fayth's of her father's. Their Pokémon chose to stay in their Pokéballs, apparently not feeling like dealing with the hassle of trudging through snow.

"it is refreshing," Alex mused, taking in the sights as she popped open her Pokégear, checking the time and a glance at the map. The fastest way to Goldenrod would be by going west, taking Route 36 and then heading south. Alex gazed up at the darkening sky, setting sun hidden behind seas of clouds. The lanterns dotted around the old city flickered to life. Daylight savings time was such a nuisance.

"Ahh, we'll be fine," Fayth reassured her, noticing the annoyance on her partner's face. "A little dark never hurt anyone, right? Except for maybe psychic types." She shrugged with a mock dopey smile on her face, which contorted into laughter as it was rightfully pelted by a snowball.

"You're _terrible_ ," Alex said, chuckling in spite of herself. She dusted the snow off her gloves, and the girls were on their way.

. . . __

 _"_ I don't understand...why are you shivering, Kerren?" asked the younger of the boys, dressed in an expensive looking light winter jacket, hat and scarf. A Lopunny walked beside him in similar attire, unfazed by the cold.

"Probably c-c-cause I'm not from S-sinnoh like y-you, S-s-Suki..."

A Boldore emanating heat at his side and himself dressed in the thickest, heaviest winter gear the professor could afford for him - and the Unovan native Kerren was _still_ freezing. Sure, he was only just turning 9, but from what he remembered, winter in Unova was _easy_. But this? It felt like there was a Cryogonal breathing down his neck every step he _took._

At least, that's how Kerren saw it. In all actuality it was around 20 or so degrees farenheit - just cold enough for the snowstorm to hit. This was _perfect_ weather for Suki, having come from up north to go to the academy here in Johto. It puzzled him how his best friend and idol, the mighty Kerren, could be so taken aback by the chill, but it amused him nonetheless. His Togepi chirped happily in the baby carrier Suki wore, wrapped in scarves and blankets to keep it warm. It refused to return to its Premier Ball after Suki registered him, so he had to get used to carrying the little guy around.

The duo were travelling Route 36 coming from Ecruteak City, having spent the day at the dance theatre per Suki's request. He was always in to that girly stuff, Kerren thought, keeping his mind off the cold. Heck, everything Suki did was girly. He wore girly clothes, listened to girly music, had girly Pokémon, just looking at him you probably wouldn't figure he was a boy in the first place. Kerren only agreed to the trip so he could watch the beautiful Kimono Girls - that, and he wasn't letting Suki go anywhere himself. They only had each-other out here, and since Kerren was the older one (even if only by a year), that meant _he_ was Suki's guardian. In a totally bro-kinda way, he'd insist.

It was already almost pitch-black outside, the only illumination on the path coming from Kerren's Boldore, Sylvester - his star Pokémon. One of the only things he brought here from Unova other than the clothes on his back - if he ever saw his folks again, it would be too soon. As they ventured farther along the route the trees began to drown out the light from Ecruteak. Two kids alone travelling a path through the forest - what could go wrong?

"I wish some b-bozo _would_ try attacking us," Kerren declared, crossing arms and getting his body heat back up. "We're in the t-top 10 of our class for a reason! I don't care if you're an Ursaring or T-team Rocket, b- _bring_ it!"

"What if it's an ice type Pokémon, Kerren?"

"Then we'll burn it down with the heat of p-passion!"

Kamui, Suki's Togepi, chirped along to Kerren's gusto. Sylvester merely rolled his eyes, continuing their trek forward. Sounds of rustling bushes and wild Noctowl did admittedly put him on edge. No, there was _nothing_ that could shake down Kerren's rock hard resolve, no man, no Pokémon, not even those two admittedly attractive figures approaching from the far end of the path...

 _. . ._

"Yo Alley, I think I some kids up ahead. Think they're looking for trouble?"

"Let's hope not, the train leaves in only half an hour." She squinted her eyes, trying to make out the silhouettes. "Lex, think you can give us any more light?"

"Chaar..." The area from the girls to the two up the road suddenly lit up, exciting the Charmeleon for a moment before he realized another Pokémon from up ahead was responsible. He frowned, crossing his arms. Alex and Fayth squinted their eyes, blocking the sudden burst of light. In the middle stood a boy dressed in bulky red winter clothing, posing extravagantly as if he were their grand savior. A little bit behind him at his side was his companion, probably his little sister from the looks of it, sitting on a big rock-looking Pokémon neither of them had seen before.

"There's no need to be afraid, misses...miss? Misses? Whatever, I, the _mighty_ Kerren subaided by my buddies Suki and Sylvester, wave, Suki!"/sub subsub"Hi!"/sub/sub "...have appeared to escort you to safety!" The boy took a bow, appearing in front of the girls suddenly and grabbing their hands to kiss. Alex failed to restrain herself and bopped him in the mouth when he brought it up to her hand. "OWW, HEY! I WAS BEING POLITE, JEEZ!" he jumped back and rubbed his mouth, entering a defensive pose and pointing accusingly at the two. "What bring you to these harsh lands, she-witch?!" Suki and Sylvester nonchalantly caught up beside him, Sylvester lowering the light he gave off to keep from blinding them.

"Definitely not you," Alex remarked, pushing him aside. "If you're looking for a battle, we don't have any time - we're running late for a train." She and Fayth began to walk ahead, only for Kerren to pop back up in front of them.

"I think we can help you out there, pal. Sylvester can get us there in no time flat, if you're _really_ in a hurry."

"No thanks, we can-"

"What _is_ that thing, anyway?" Fayth interjected. No way she was giving up an opportunity to get off her feet.

"I'm glad you asked, miss! Sylvester here is a Boldore, all the way from Unova. You won't find these guys _anywhere_ near here!"

Lex walked up and inspected the creature, an unimpressed look on his face. Sylvester flashed one his crystals brightly, startling and blinding the Charmeleon, making him fall over in the snow. He chuckled, watching Lex shoot up and growl at him before Alex returned him.

"It sure doesn't _look_ very fast," Alex commented, realizing that chances are, they'd be together until they got to the city.

"He normally isn't, that is until he uses his Rock Polish move! Suki, bro, scooch over! Give the ladies some room!" Suki did as told, Prescilla hopping up to stand on the child's head. Fayth and Alex looked at eachother with raised eyebrows at the word 'bro', shrugging and watching the Boldore sharply raise its speed. There was just enough room for the four of them to fit on (albeit a little close) - Sylvester was considerably larger than Boldore's natural size.

"Is this seat taken?" Kerren asked, hopping up on Sylvester behind Alex.

"Very much so," Fayth answered, bumping him over to the other side behind Suki. He shrugged, pointing ahead.

"Next stop, Goldenrod City!"

Alex and Suki held on to Sylvester's crystals for support, their own companions latching on from behind. They weren't quite prepared for the speed it took off with. Fayth couldn't help but holler with the rush from all the speed, she felt a sort of freedom she hadn't really felt before. Alex smiled. Things were always exciting when they were together.

"So, where you girls coming from?" Kerren asked, shouting over the wind.

"The Academy, about to go chill in Kanto, pun _totally_ intended!" Fayth snickered hearing both Alex and Kerren's groans and complaining. Suki chuckled at her pun, thinking about how annoyed Kerren could get with his own wordplay. Kerren made a double-take, mulling something over in his head.

"Wait, you twos are from the Academy? Violet City's? What class?"

"D, Trainer, graduating to Gym Leader next year!"

"What, you are too?" Alex asked, somewhat interested.

"Bet we are, C class though! I'm surprised we haven't ran into one-another!"

"Yeah, maybe you can show us what you're made of when we get back!" Fayth suggested, popping open her Pokégear and prompting the other three to do the same. Everyone exchanged numbers - admittedly, they were the first outside of the professor's and in Alex's case, her mom's, that they'd collected.

"Any time you need a _real_ challenge, hit us up!" Kerren said, pocketing his Pokégear and doing his best to mask his excitement.

"Hm, we'll see," Alex remarked, a smirk on her face as she fist-bumped with Fayth.

Sylvester suddenly came to a sudden halt, throwing Alex off its back and making her land with a face full of snow. Fayth and Kerren couldn't help but bust out laughing at the scene, Suki lightly chuckling and Fayth hopping off to pelt her with a snowball as payback before helping her up.

"Thanks for the ride, boys," Fayth said, reaching up and ruffling the snow out of Alex's hair. Alex returned the favor by smashing a snowball in Fayth's face, laughing as she put her arm around Fayth's shoulder, realizing they both probably looked ridiculous.

"Yeah, thanks," Alex said sincerely.

"No problem girls, that's what bros are for! Now hurry up and go catch your train!"

"Oh, right!" The two of them dashed off into the city, passes in hand. Kerren hopped on over to Sylvester's other side, laying back and sighing with a sense of satisfaction.

"Well they seemed nice," Suki said, stroking Priscilla's ears. She shrugged her shoulders, giving the 'so-so' wave with her hand.

"I wouldn't say nice," Kerren remarked, rubbing his mouth. "But they're _definitely_ alright. We might actually have ourselves some _real_ rivals there, Suki!" He sat up, pumping his fist. "We better get _right_ to training - first impressions are _everything_!"


	4. 4: Slight Out of Hand

. . .

"A fair bit of warning before we go in," Alex warned the next morning. They duo stood outside of the farmhouse Alex called home, the morning young with a chill in the air. "My mother...she can be a little...assertive? Just, be careful what you say around her...she did agree to let you stay for our break."

"Yeah yeah, okay Mom. Respect your elders and all that."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

Alex's mother answered the door, and as it creaked open she understood where Alex got her height from. The woman shared Alex's dark skin and shade of hair, and towered over them both as if they were five again. From the minute she layed eyes on her she felt a sort of powerful, large-and-in-charge air around her, that special kind of authority that Fayth tended to hate the most. But seeing as this was her best friend's mom, she'd have to make an exception. If there was anything she got from that glance, it was that this was a woman who know what she was doing, and had been for who knows how many years.

"Alex! I was starting to think y'all weren't gonna make it! And you must be Fayth, huh? Let me tell you girl, you didn't take _anything_ from your grandpa. Call me Ms. Alexis, come on in and have a seat." She lightly pushed the two inside, shutting the door behind them and hurrying back to the stove to tend to a teapot. Fayth took a long gaze around the front of the house. Everything was clean and neat, all organized. There was a rack in a small atrium connected to the kitchen filled with all sorts of trophies and medals - from her performing days, she assumed. Fayth shrugged, tossing her bag and coat in a chair and plopping down at the table, propping her feet up on the table.

"Please keep your feet off the table, dear."

"Make me," Fayth told her, purely out of habit.  
Alex shook her head and shyly looked away. Her mother stopped what she was doing, letting out a deep sigh and putting a knowing smile on her face. She calmly stepped over to her child's friend, and stood patiently until Fayth noticed her.

"Yo," Fayth said, opening an eye to address her.

"Yo," Alexis said. Before Fayth could react Alexis had her held up by the front of her overalls, face to face to make _sure_ her and Fayth were on the same page. "Do you know what they called me back home, Fayth?"

Her eyes seemed to pierce through any sense of bravado Fayth thought she had about her. Suddenly the air was cold as the tip of Mt. Silver. "M-Ms...Rayquaza?" Fayth sputtered, her nerves shot from the sheer force of this woman's aura. Alexa pulled her closer, smiling in the way a dragon would before tearing its meal to shreds.

"Good. Now do you know _why_ they called me that?"

Fayth swallowed. "I...I think so, ma'am..."

"The reason they call me that," she began, tilting her head slightly, not letting up her gaze for a second. "Is because I don't take anyone's _shit_ , excuse my Kalosian, _especially_ from little runts like you. Now I am going to put you down, and if you even show a _hint_ of disrespect towards me again, I will _destroy_ you. Are we clear?"

" _Crystal_."

"Good!" Alexis gave her a warm smile and dropped her back in the chair, letting her regain her composure. "Now, who wants tea?"

After the table was all set up, Alex sat next to Fayth and lightly pat her shoulder. "Hate to say I told you so."

"Yeah, but... _Arceus_ , man."

When she wasn't making sure people were put in their places, Alexis was one of the most caring, loving mothers out there, as Fayth quickly came to realize. Over tea she had asked them all sorts of questions, from what all they'd learned so far at school, to how the professor was and what their teachers and classmates were like. She'd gotten to know Fayth very well, and the two were able to bond easily after she'd set her straight. She could tell the girl hadn't ever gotten used to the whole 'parent' thing, despite being raised by her mother for six years. The mothering Alexis provided seemed to have been a long time coming - it even surprised Alex how much she opened up to her.

. . .

"Hey...where's that kid of yours, B? Schools out, ain't it?"

The woman paused, setting her lighter back down on the table, where her unlit cigarette went as well. She and her gang of three sat cross-legged around the leather couch set in the living room, some card game set up on the table. A Pokémon with white fur and a dark face, with soft red eyes lay in her lap. It was an Absol, and it wore a neckerchief around its neck with a shiny stone embedded in it. The Absol opened its eyes and looked up at its owner, and then at the comrade who asked the question with a similar look of confusion.

"No," the woman said cautiously, her voice low and articulate. "Where did you hear that?"

"Usually this time of the year the kiddies come home for break," her comrade replied. He lay dressed in green with his tall, lanky legs crossed. His appearance as a whole bore likeness to a snake.

"Don't tell me you forgot about the girl _again_ , B," snorted a heavyset, dark-skinned woman from the opposite side of the couch.

"Can it, Judith," 'B' snapped back at her, prompting a collective chuckle from the other three as she stood up, her Pokémon jumping down and standing at her side.

"You leave, you forfeit the pot," the snake-y man told her. B responded with a quick bird and a mock smile, grabbing her coat and rushing out the door.

"Count, let's go," she called, clicking open a Poké Ball and releasing a large, bat-like Pokemon, with what resembled speakers on its forehead. Her Noivern. It wore a scarf and a pair of goggles. Count addressed her with a knightly nod, lowering itself to allow B and her Absol to mount it. He lifted himself high into the air, and began to soar.

Stupid. Stupid, stupid stupid. You promised yourself that things would be different. Couldn't even be bothered to figure out when school'd be on break. B shook her head. "Count, you okay? I know you hate the cold, but we're in a hurry." The Noivern looked back and smiled at her, letting her know everything was A-OK. B sighed. This would be the first time since she saw her daughter off that she'd have had a chance to check up on her. Maybe they'd even hang out for a change...do _something_ together. The more she thought about it the worse she felt about it. She bet Isaac probably spent all the time he could with her, even _with_ his busy job. No point in being angry about it - it was time she stood up to the plate herself.

Before long, they'd arrived in Violet City. B thanked Count and returned him. The Noivern did everything he could for her, even when it proved impractical for him. Why did it seem so easy for everyone else? She looked around. What was light snow earlier had grown into a full on snowstorm. The lamps dotted around the city gave off a cool blue glow. In front of her - Violet City's Pokemon Academy. She'd been in every corner of the building before - she knew where the dorms were for each class, the cafeteria, and most importantly - the headmaster's office.

"Isaac," the woman addressed. Even though it was 2 in the morning now, Isaac-Earl Jr still chipped away at that computer of his, getting _some_ work done. In the day, he spent the bulk of his time with the students. The professor rolled his chair away from the computer screen to face her. His eyes were weary - that much was to be expected when you were in charge of an entire boarding school. But something else was behind those tired eyes tonight.

"Belle," he replied, leaning forward resting his chin on his hand. "Surprised to see you. You haven't called and-"

"Neither have you," she retorted, a hint of that familiar spite in her voice. The two parents eyed each-other, Belle crossing her arms and waiting. The Absol hopped up on the desk, lying down and staring him down as well. Isaac let out a deep sigh. Why were things always so difficult when it came to her?

"I take it you've come to pick up Fayth?"

"No, I came to quit my work and spend the rest of my life here as your secretary again. Where is she?"

"I allowed her to spend break over her friends' house in Kanto. I know how you hate to be bothered."

Belle looked away from him. A smile formed across her face. She chuckled. Then she laughed. Her Pokémon turned to look at her, then continued staring at Isaac. It didn't budge when Belle suddenly slammed her arms on the table. "You think you have me all figured out, don't you Isaac?" she said sternly, her gaze piercing her separated husband's glasses just as her Pokemon's did. Issac simply leaned back in his chair. "You think I couldn't care less about her, or how she's doing. You don't think I'm _capable_ of caring, do you Isaac?" She stood back up, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Temper, Belle. "Isaac...I want you to tell me _exactly_ why you think I sent her here." The room was still. "In your own words, _professor,_ what ran through your mind when I showed up out of the blue registering _our_ daughter at _your_ school."

No response.

"Isaac, I enrolled her because I wanted to show you that I was ready to _fix_ things. _Together_." She gritted her teeth a little at that. "She needed...more than I could give her on my own. And I knew that _your_ school could get us started on giving her that. The time, the one-on-one support. But then you go and just send her off to another _region_ without telling me?"

"I'm sorry if I didn't think someone who gave a young, inexperienced child untrained, highly dangerous Pokemon as _starters_ cared enough to take care of her only child, _Belle._ "

A quizzical expression took her face. "I wouldn't call a _Marill_ dangerous, Isaac, what are you talking about?"

"A Marill?" Isaac scratched his chin. "She showed up with an Onix and a Gyarados."

"How did she..."

. . .

"I don't _need_ to go school, _Belle_ , just give me a Pokémon and I can start my journey just fine!"

"I _am_ giving you a Pokemon. Listen, kid. You won't be old enough to leave home until you're ten. Right now, you're six. Four years of school isn't gonna kill you. Besides, you can't stay cooped up in here forever. You'll make _tons_ of friends at the Academy."

Fayth pouted and crossed her arms as she always did when things weren't going her way. "Fine...at least let me see the Pokemon. I hope it's strong."

Belle tossed her the Poké Ball, which Fayth fumbled for bit before getting a grip on it. She pressed the button in front like she'd seen her mother do hundreds of times, and grinned with satisfaction as it hissed open and a red laser shot out of it.

" _Marill, marill!"_

Her grin turned into a dissatisfied frown. "A Marill? Really?"

"She's your starter, Fayth. You think I started out with my Blastoise, or Lance with his Dragonite? They take time, love, and experience to grow. Just like we do."

Fayth eyed the blue mouse. Its small, helpless eyes looked up expectantly at her, and it did a little dance as if it wanted to be carried. Fayth simply returned it to its ball, the creature cooing disappointingly as it returned.

"It'll do," she said dismissively. Belle sighed.

"You can't expect it to do anything for you if you don't show it any care."

"I dunno, works for you, doesn't it?" Belle eyed her daughter as she walked away, heading into her room and slamming the door.

"That's why you're going," Belle said under her breath, rolling her eyes. Her Absol rubbed itself against her leg, cooing. Belle bent down and lifted the Pokémon up, then gripped her forehead from a sudden migraine. "What's wrong, Riku?" she asked, sitting down and stroking its fur. It cooed again, rubbing its head against a Poké Ball on her belt. "They're gonna be okay, girl. She'll get over it. Everyone does." Riku shook her head, laying down in comfort.

. . .

"Sorry Marill, but I'll show _Mom_ what I can and can't handle. They should be behind this..." She removed a panel from behind the mirror in her mother's room. _Jackpot_. All kinds of exotic looking Pokéballs, mixed in with the normal ones. Belle wouldn't know the difference - not like she looked in here often. She placed Marill's Poké ball in with the others, taking out two black and gold colored ones instead. Her mom wouldn't be back until dark again, another business trip. All the more time to test her _real_ starters out, she thought.

Unlike most of the other kids in the region, Fayth preferred getting around on skates when given the opportunity - her pair a souvenir from a brief trip to Kalos when she turned five. Through Mahogony Town she skated, dodging the weary eyes of neighbors and elders who branded her as the problem child, and rightfully so. Not her fault she caused trouble when there wasn't anything else worth doing. Off she went toward one of the more isolated corners of town - not to say the town itself was bustling. As far as Fayth could tell Mahogony had to be one of the smallest towns in all of Johto - people only came through as a pit stop on their way to the Lake. Either that, or they were looking to challenge the town's Gym Leader. Fayth didn't know his name, but she knew he'd replaced the old one a few years back - the old guy was, well, old. Chances are he probably kicked the bucket.

Her wheels kicked up a cloud of dust as she came to halt, taking a moment to detach the wheel track from her skates - the gimmick was that they were also regular old boots. She took a deep breath of air in, scanning her surroundings. A wide, open field away from the main part of town - probably used to a construction site before plans fell through. Point is, she'd have enough room to test out moves and maybe even train them like she saw her mother do, all without worrying about busting up somebody's house, which she also saw her mother do. She giddily took the two Ultra Balls out of her overalls' pockets, clicking the buttons and releasing her new Pokemon. "Whatever you are, come on out!"

Sure enough, out in front of her appeared two giant serpentine Pokemon Fayth recognized as Onix and Gyarados, though their colors were a little different than usual. The Onix was a much darker grey than the ones she'd seen before, and the Gyarados was red...that must mean these Pokemon were _extra_ special. That whole secret compartment must've been full of special Pokemon, she thought. But _these_ were her's. The Pokémon let out their respective roars, only adding to Fayth's giddiness.

"Alright you two - my name is Fayth, and from here on out, you're my new Pokemon!"

Both Pokemon looked down at her a moment, before the Gyarados roared again, this time letting out a thunderous cry that startled all sorts of Bird Pokemon out of their trees. The Gyarados looked as if it were about to pounce her before the Onix tackled it instead, kicking a wave of dust as they wrestled one-another, roaring loudly. Fayth's heartrate shot up - Pokemon were supposed to listen to their trainers, right? They weren't supposed to fight each other until it was time for a battle, and even _then_...

"Hey..." she said, shivering and backing up as a swaying tail swung a little too close for comfort. "You guys are supposed to listen! I'm your trainer and..."

Her eyes went wide as she heard the sound of something powering up, and a quick glance showed an spectacular buildup of light in the Gyarados' mouth, incidentally aimed right at her. She panicked, knowing exactly what was coming next, and in a frenzy clicked the middle buttons on the pair of Ultra Balls. They clicked back open, releasing beams of red light that enveloped the two beasts. In an instant, they had returned leaving nothing but their cloud of dust. Fayth fell back, catching her breath as she processed how close she was to being obliterated just now. She looked back down at the balls. She knew being a Pokemon Trainer wasn't going to be easy, but...this? She frowned. No. She went through the effort of snagging these two in the first place. She could handle them. Maybe all they needed was to see _other_ Pokemon to attack - yeah, that was it. She's show Belle. She'd show everyone what she could and couldn't handle.

. . .

"B, B, where's the _fire_?"

"Probably in her eyes, _Viper_ \- Belle only moves like that when she's been _duped._ "

"Got that right, _Jude_. Hey _Belle,_ guess all those years of going _legit_ got rid of all that diligence, huh?"

" _Piss off_ , Viper," Belle said, putting the mirror back up over her stash and facepalming. "Hooooly _shit_ , how did I miss that?"

Her Absol, Riku blew at her, pointing her horn toward the Poke Balls on her belt as if to say, _hate to say I told you so._ Belle remembered the sign her partner in crime gave her and facepalmed harder. "Stupid, stupid..."

She paused and took the mirror back down, looking through each and every Poke Ball and finding the only one unmarked. She hurriedly released the Pokemon inside, a sad Marill appearing from it that hurriedly ran up and hugged her leg, crying into it. "Hey, hey, it's okay, I'm so sorry," Belle told it, crouching down and comforting the poor thing. She picked it up and cradled it, carrying it with her to the kitchen as she got it something to eat. Viper and Jude followed her, crossing their arms.

"I forget the little ones can't take being away from their trainers so long like that," Viper sighed, watching the sorry sight.

"She must've abandoned it the day after I gave it to her," Belle said, rubbing the Marill's belly as it drank up a bottle of milk. She'd grown into the habit of raising a lot of the Pokemon she'd caught over the years, handing the smaller ones off to local professors who gave them out to new trainers. It might've been her own subconscious way of making up for time she didn't spend with her daughter.

"So what're you gonna do, B?" Judith asked, resting a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

"I'm gonna go get my daughter, and we're going to have a little talk. She looked back down at the Marill, who'd settled down after being fed. "Would you like to come along, little one?" It nodded, lifting its little arms as Belle picked it up, hugging it tightly. "I'll be back."


	5. 5: Discomfort

"Well...we're not completely in sync yet," Fayth told Alex's mom, when the discussion had came to her and Alex's Pokemon.

"Oh?" Alexis said, taking another sip from her glass. "How so?"

"Skye for one doesn't listen to half the things I say. I guess she's like me - she likes doing her own thing. And as for Star, well, I think she might be afraid of her own strength. She always seems to be afraid of really attacking other Pokemon, especially the smaller ones. She won't even try fighting Ruff, she'll just hug her."

Alexis set her cup down for a moment as she thought, "Hm, well battles weren't really my thing, so not sure how much my advice would carry over to your situation. However when it came to contests, I couldn't force my pokemon to do anything they didn't like or want to do. Instead I had to work around it and play to their strengths, and had the others cover their weaknesses. So with Skye maybe it is best to let her do things her way, and plan around that. As for Star, well you like double battles correct? Have her not think of using her strength as hurting other pokemon, but defending her friends in battle. I've known so pretty peaceful people who would really mess you up if you threatened their friends."

"But..how do you plan around stuff when you have no idea what to expect?" Ruff and Tuff hopped up on the table between them, crossing their arms. "These two work with me, so we can plan stuff out easy."

"Well simple, get to know her better, so you have an idea what to expect." She said taking a sip of her tea. "By the end of my career I knew everything about my pokemon. Nothing they did could surprise me."

Ding. The doorbell. It occurred to the three of them that they'd practically spent the whole day sitting at the table and chatting - it was almost dusk now. Even though Alex knew almost everything Fayth told her mom, it was still surprising how easy all of it came out. Up until now, she'd never seen her talk this much to anyone other than her. Maybe it ran in the family.

"Oh didn't realize how long we've just been talking." Alexis said looking up as the doorbell rang seeing that the sun was going down. "Alex be a dear and get the door, while out there, call Roxi in from the berry fields, we need to start working on dinner." Alexis gathered up the empty cups and tea pot carrying them off into the kitchen.

"Yes ma'am." Alex nodded, as she got up from her seat heading to the door. "How may I help you." She said as she opened the door, answering it the way her mother taught her too.

"Hello," the woman addressed, a tired, deadpan expression on her face as she looked down at Alex. Her eyes were big and fuschia, matching Fayth's, and she was dressed in attire that made her resemble a fantasy rogue, hood and all. She wasn't as tall as Alexis, maybe around half her height. Behind her was a Noivern, a Pokemon Alex had read about in a book on Kalos, and two other Pokemon she recognized as Marill and Absol. "I take it you must be Fayth's friend." Belle smiled in spite of herself and crossed her arms, leaning on the doorway. "Is your mother home?"

Alex looked up at her, with her own normal deadpanned expression, but a hint of distrust hidden behind it, having a pretty good idea who the woman was. "Fayth's mom, I'm guessing." Alex said. She never really asked about it, but Fayth rarely ever mentioned her mother, despite being pretty open towards Alex, and Alex assumed there was a pretty good reason why. So naturally she didn't entirely trust the woman suddenly showing up at her door steps.

"Ding ding ding ding." Belle sarcastically gave the child jazz hands, and then crossed her arms again. "So is your mom here or what?" Her Absol, Riku, walked in past Alex, peering around the door and spotting both Fayth and Alexis. She barked, and then lay comfortably on the floor.

"Can't just let your pokemon walk into people's house like that." Alex said looking back at the Absol as it made itself comfortable.

"It's alright honey. Just go get Roxi," Alexis said walking back into the living room towards the door. Alex nodded, walking past Belle, bumping her a little on the way out the door. "Anyway I'm Alex's mom, how may I help you." She said in a polite tone looking down at Belle, towering over her.

"Belle, Fayth's mom," she said, lazily offering her fingerless-gloved hand to shake. "Got quite the attitude on that kid of yours."

Alexis took her hand, shaking it, with a pretty hard squeeze. "Alexis," she gave her name "and still much better then your's however." she said, still in her polite tone. "Speaking of whom I assume she's the reason you're here."

"Hit the nail on the head," Belle affirmed, returning the squeeze unphased. "You gonna let us in, or...?" She pointed a thumb back to Count, her Noivern, who shivered slightly, but stopped and played it off like he was okay when he noticed Belle was aware.

"It'd be rude if I didn't, almost as rude as showing up unannounced. Besides your Absol already seems comfy, and your Noivern clearly doesn't like the cold." She stepped back waving her hand for them to come in. "I was just about to prepare dinner too. Perhaps you'd like to stay for a nice meal."

"We'd be delighted," Belle deadpanned, already annoyed with Alexis' housewife tone. She handed her 3000 Pokedollars on her way in as thanks for the coming meal - might as well show some kind of generosity. Count bowed sincerely as he walked in, kissing Alexis' hand. He just barely managed to slide on in through the door, grateful that he was slimmer than the average Dragon-type - at least, with his wings tucked in.

Fayth felt a wash of dread come over her as she heard her mother coming in. She knew she'd catch up with her sooner or later, but why here of all places? This was supposed to be her break. "Hey Mom," Fayth greeted disappointedly, looking in another direction. Ruff and Tuff looked over at the woman coming in, hanging her coat on a nearby coat rack, and instantly recognized her as family. They scurried on over to her, looking her over from all sides.

"Hiya, kid. Long time no see," she said, standing in place while her daughter's partners investigated her. "I take it these two are yours?" Her Marill backed away frightened from the two, having Belle pick it up and cradle it.

"Heh...yeah. Ruff, Tuff, this is my mom." The two Pokemon looked at eachother and then back up at Belle, before Riku pushed them aside, and the three conversed. Count tugged on one of Alexis' sleeves, pointing toward the couch - asking if it were alright.

Alexis nodded "Yes you may sit down, thank you for asking first. What a polite Noivern." She smiled. "What's his name?" She asked looking over at Belle. At the same time, Alex came back into the house, following behind her was a Dragonite, who was actually a little skinnier than most. The dragonite looked around the room, glaring at Belle a little, clearly Alex had told her about the situation on the way here. However she smiled a little spotting the Noivern.

The Noivern nodded thankfully, walking over to the couch and passing out there. "Oh, that's Count," Belle said, walking over and rubbing the tired bat-dragon's belly. She smiled. "He's been one of my partners since I was a little girl, almost as long as Riku here has." She nodded toward the Absol approaching her, rubbing against her leg. If there was anything that could get Belle feeling right, it were her Pokemon. Fayth rolled her eyes at the attention Belle's Pokemon got over her. She figured she'd be used to it by now, but…

Belle noticed Alex coming in with the Dragonite, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, hello there. What's her name?"

"She's Roxi, the only one of my pokemon who stuck around. I released the rest of them when i retired and moved out here. She helps around the farm." Alexis answered "Come on Roxi we need to make dinner for our guests." Roxi nodded following Alexis into the kitchen, as Alex went over to sit next to Fayth.

"Retired?" Belle looked around, glancing at the collection of trophies and plaques. "I take it you were a Trainer?"

"Performer to be exact." she said proudly. "I was pretty famous in my day back in my home region of Hoenn. I've also preformed in Sinnoh and Kalos. Retired and moved out here after I got pregnant with Alex, and started up this berry farm. I wanted to be able to focus on raising Alex, plus this had always been kinda like a secondary dream of mine."

"Hm." She resumed her deadpan expression as she returned to the kitchen, sitting down at the table with Fayth and Alex. The Marill recognized Fayth instantly and fired a Bubblebeam square into her face, with enough force to slam Fayth's chair against the wall.

" _Pbbt...cut it out!_ " Fayth shouted, raising her arms to try and block the blast.

"Marill, relax, relax.." Belle cradled it, calming it down as it turned its back to Fayth.

" _Marill_."

"Sorry about that...she's still a little upset over being _rejected and abandoned for a year_ ," Belle told Fayth, making sure she made eye contact.

"Oh, that's too bad. _No_ idea how that feels." Fayth got up, looking for a towel. Ruff hopped up on the table ready to destroy Marill with a Thunderbolt, but Alex grabbed the Pikachu and held her instead.

"You abandoned the Marill?" Alex asked looking over at Fayth as she held Ruff back.

"I didn't _abandon_ anything," Fayth said, annoyedly drying herself off. "I didn't _want_ a Marill, so I simply swapped out for something else."

"You _had_ Marill, and then you stole _two_ of my Pokemon and left her instead."

"It's not like you were _using_ them, or _ever_ used them for that matter."

"That doesn't give you the right to just _steal_ them you little-" Belle paused and took a deep breath. _Temper, temper...you're trying to make up, remember?_ "It's alright. I'll take care of her." Riku jumped into her lap. "So." She let out a deep breath. "...you two enjoying yourselves at school?"

Fayth gave her look as if to say, _Are you for real?_ Alex decided to play along, noticing her mother came to sit at the table, taking a temporary break to listen in on more of her daughter and friend's escapades.

Alex decided to speak up in place of Fayth, "It's been alright, for the most part." she said, trying to move the conversation along. "Things were rocky at first but haven't run into too much trouble since."

"Rocky?" Belle leaned forward on the table, her elbow on the table. She raised an eyebrow in a way that Alex couldn't tell whether it was sarcastic or mildly interested - either way, it made her sick. "How so?" Fayth crossed her arms, looking away.

"Well…" Alex glanced over at Fayth, before continuing turning her attention back to Belle. She really didn't like the woman sitting in front of her, but as it stands now she wasn't too happy with her friend ether so she went ahead and told Belle about how Fayth almost got herself killed using Star and Skye.

Belle snickered a little bit. "Serves you right after a stunt like the one you pulled, kid. Good to know Isaac at least still has his head screwed on tight."

"Good to know my mom finds that funny," Fayth said under her breath. She made a mental note of the look Alex gave her, and it kind of broke her bravado a bit. Great. Mom's ruining _everything_.

"Ah lighten up, kid. You've got a perfectly fine Pikachu right there." Ruff had since calmed down, sitting in Alex's lap as she absent-mindedly stroked its fur. It could tell that neither Alex nor Fayth were feeling too happy right about now, and if it weren't for Alex she'd have electrocuted everyone at the table to get out of this funk. "Unless she's tried to kill you too, in which case old Isaac isn't running the school as well as he used to."

"Dad's running the school fine. And it's not like that - we're tight. And Alley helped me with the big ones, too."

"Though, you're still having a bit of trouble with them." Alex said.

"Nothing a bit of practice won't fix." Alexis chimed in from the kitchen, having gone back to check on the food. "Dinner's almost ready, so how about you all go wash up?"

Fayth didn't need to be told twice - finally an excuse to get away from that cesspool of awkward. Her and Alex departed the table in a hurry, leaving Belle and Alexis in the kitchen.

Alex while in a hurry to leave the awkwardness, she was still a little slow behind Fayth. Still carrying Ruff in her arms, she came in the bathroom a little after Fayth already made it inside.

Fayth let out a sigh of relief, washing her face. "Sorry about my mom back there. She can be such a creep sometimes."

"It's whatever…" Alex said dismissively, setting Ruff down on the ground. She seemed to avoid looking directly at Fayth as she went over to the sink, and started washing up herself.

Ruff dashed over to Fayth's side, tugging on the leg of her pajamas. Fayth picked the Pikachu up, getting started on cleaning her, too. She noticed Alex's behavior being off, and remembered the look she gave her. "Hey...everything okay?"

"Everythings fine…" Alex said, clearly lying. Something was definitely bugging her.

Fayth sighed again, setting Ruff down in the water. She crossed her arms and faced her friend. "You and I both know that 'everything's fine' means NOTHING's fine. Spit it out." Fayth faced pretty much every problem she came across head on - there wasn't any dancing around it when she didn't have to.

Alex gripped the sink a little, and clenched her teeth, before glaring at Fayth a little. "Fine wanna know what's wrong. It's YOU!" She pointed her finger in Fayth's face. "I can't believe YOU would abandon your pokemon like that! A baby pokemon at that! Left alone, abandoned, trapped inside of its ball for 2 years!" She shouted. "You have any idea how cruel that is! You know the only reason you still have Star and Skye, is because I stood up for you, because I believe taking away someone's pokemon is one of the worse things you can do, but someone who abandons their pokemon shouldn't even be allowed to have any!"

Fayth couldn't hold her arms up after that. In Alex's eyes she saw fury and betrayal. It wasn't often Alex had blown her fuse like that, but when she did, Fayth had never imagined she'd be on the receiving end of it. She flashed back to the infirmary, almost two years ago now back at school. She felt alone, left unattended on the cold, plastic bed. Her entire arm was throbbing, and any attempt she made at moving it sent the pain shooting throughout her entire body. Second day of school and it was like she'd never left home - here she was back alone and without Pokemon. A quick glance around the room told her the Ultra Balls had been confiscated - no duh. She never should've bothered taking them in the first place. She wondered how that Marill felt, back home in Mahogany Town, left tucked away, cold, forgotten, and alone. Alone. Alone, alone, alone, alone. Like she always had been, and always would be.

And then Alex stepped in. Fayth closed her eyes in a hurry to make it look like she was sleeping - that was all she needed, for this girl to see that she was crying. Then she'd be alone and a crybaby, the whole school would know that. With her eyes closed, she heard each step she took around the room. They were the only sound she could hear. First at the door, then by her side...and then she heard something metal being set down, probably on a table. Then nothing again. Eyes were on her. In any other situation she would've felt uncomfortable...but now...now she didn't feel so bad.

"Come on, Alex. Let her rest." Her father's words. Then the footsteps against the marble floor, leaving her side, going farther and farther away, and then the door shut. She waited a moment, peeking out the side of her eye. There were the Ultra Balls, sitting on the counter to her right. Maybe she wasn't alone, after all. She could be a crybaby tonight.

Suddenly, her back was against the wall, sliding down, her wet sleeve against her eyes. Her throat hurt. "I'm sorry…" she managed to get out. It was quiet, save for Ruff's slight splashes in the sink. "I was a stupid kid...I'm still a stupid kid. I knew how it felt and I did it anyway!" This was a side Alex wasn't used to seeing. "I didn't know what I wanted, or what I was looking for, I couldn't think! I was screwed up, okay?!" She couldn't hold it back any longer. She felt warmth going down her cheeks again. She never cried...what was the point in crying? People only cried when they felt loss, what was she afraid of losing…? "I'm still screwed up…"

Seeing her friend break down like this, chipped away at Alex's anger. As she calmed down watching Fayth cry for the first time, she felt bad for blowing up on her like that. Alex went silent for a while lost in thought, before letting out a sigh, and walking over to comfort Fayth, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Come on...enough with the water works…" she said, she really wasn't good at this sorta thing.

Ruff hopped out of the sink, scurrying up Alex's back to stand on her shoulder. "Pii.." The Pikachu shook itself dry, covering the two girls in water. Fayth was hardly phased, shaking her head side to side. "No...you're right, I don't deserve to have anyone after what I did, not Pokemon, not you, not-AYEyeyeye!" Alex grunted slightly as Ruff shocked them both with a Thunderbolt, per her command. It was only thanks to them getting used to electricity over the last two years they were able to take it. Fayth and Alex looked at each other, their hair comically frizzed out and all over the place from the shock.

"Th-thanks Ruff…" Alex said "I hope that shocked some sense into you. Look you screwed up, and I'm still upset with you over that, but you're not the same as you were back then. So stop being a crybaby, and when we go out there, apologize to the Marill, and try to make things better."

Fayth wiped her eyes one last time, sucking the snot back up her nose. "Yes ma'am."

"Don't call me ma'am." she said "Make me feel like my mom."

Fayth snickered at that in spite of herself, accepting Alex's arm as she stood up, standing next to her friend in the mirror. The two looked ridiculous with their hair all out of whack - like a punk band straight outta Unova.

Alex let out a small chuckle. "We should fix ourselves up before we head back out there."

"Agreed." She stood up on her toes a bit, trying to match Alex's height - even though Alex was only seven, she still stood about a foot and a half taller than Fayth - come to think of it, in the almost two years since they started school, Fayth hadn't grown too much.

"You know I think your growth is stunted." Alex joked, "Even on your toes you don't reach me."

Ruff ran up Fayth's back, standing on her head and flexing at Alex. Fayth simply smiled and shrugged. "I guess I don't, do I?"

. . .

"So what exactly brought you here?" Alexis asked Belle. Now that the kids were out of the room, it was time for the adults to talk, and Alexis didn't like beating around the bush. "Were you gonna take Star and Skye from her after finally noticing them missing for two years? Punish her for abandoning the Marill? Or were you just feeling pissy and came to throw a tantrum?"

"Probably a mix of the three," Belle said, shrugging with her feet propped up on a chair, scrolling through something on her Pokegear. She hardly paid her any mind. "What about it concerns you?"

"Well Fayth is my daughter's friend, I care because she does. Just from my short time around her and you, I can tell you haven't exactly won any awards for motherhood, and the two of you clearly don't see eye to eye. If you care at all about your daughter, and your relationship with her, I'm warning you chances are none of those options will work out."

Belle looked at her finally out of the corner of her eye, closing the Pokegear and turning to face her. She leaned on the table in her trademark disinterested way. "And what makes you think that? I'm sure you've met her already - you know how she doesn't know how to keep a lid on it. I'll handle her and if she gets pissed off, oh well - she's just a kid."

"She's just a kid, true, but in a few years she'll be free to go off on her journey and never have to look back. She'll never have to come home again, never have to see, talk to, or even think about you again. Is that what you want?"

She simply looked at her. Yeah, in just another two years, her daughter would be able to walk on out of her life. The way things were she'd never call, never come back for a visit or anything. Good...right? Belle'd be able to continue on with the work in her guild, and Fayth'd be able to get her start as a pokemon trainer, out of eachother's way. But was that really all there was to it?

Sure, the kid had a mouth as big as hers, and no, she hadn't planned on having her in the first place...but five years of parenting kind of washed all that away. In truth, she was hoping she could better their relationship, starting with giving Fayth her first pokemon and enrolling her in school. And yet, the first time she's seen her since, what all did they do together? Argue. Complain. The same shit they'd always done, on the few occasions they were together in the first place. It was so much easier when she was younger.

No, she didn't have a witty response this time.

Alexis let out a soft sigh, looking over at Belle. "I take your lack of wit as a no. So let me explain what I've learned talking to her just today, she's already bonded with Skye and Star, even if things are still rocky it's too late to just take them from her. It's also too late to punish her about the Marill, the damage is done, best to make sure she understands what she did, and make sure she never does it again. Lastly throwing a tantrum never helps anything. If you want to have a relationship with her, start by talking to her. No sass, no sarcasm, and no wit. Just an honest conversation."

It annoyed her, but Belle knew she was right. Not like she had anyone else to model after. She shook her head and sighed, smiling at herself for how degrading this felt. "I'm twenty-eight and it's like I'm a kid again. Is it really that obvious I still don't know what I'm doing?"

"Glaringly so." Alexis said. "Motherhood is hard, when I had Alex I gave up on everything before her, and devoted myself as a mother raising her. Now you don't have to go that far, but you do need to try harder Belle. Sacrifices have to be made when you bring another life into the world."

She blew. "Not if it's keeping food on the table."

"There's more than one way of doing that you know, but it's too late for this sorta conversation. School will keep her sheltered and fed, until she's ready to set off on her journey. Now you just have to worry about building an actual relationship with her. So when they come back, you are going to talk to her like I said. In the meantime, come help me set the table."

. . .

Neither Alex nor Fayth questioned why both of their parents were helping each other around the kitchen as they got back, and neither Belle nor Alexis questioned why Fayth's eyes were pink. It was late in the day, and all anyone felt like doing now was eating and going to sleep. The four of them sat together at the kitchen table, a small feast laid out before them - fixings for the pokemon that could fit in the house were also set up beside the table. The girls sat next to one another, and the parents sat on the opposite side.

As the four of them ate, as well as their various pokemon, no one said much of anything, the only sound that filled the air was that of chewing. Alexis was the first one to speak up, breaking the silence. "You know Belle, if you'd like you're welcome to stay the night here. It's clear Count doesn't like the cold, and he was your ride here. Plus we do live pretty far away from other people."

Fayth and Alex glanced at each other, stopping their chewing, and Belle nearly choked on her food. "Ahem, um, appreciate the offer, but we should probably be on our way after this." She looked at Fayth for a moment. "I should."

"Alright if you're sure. Just remember what we talked about before you go." Alexis said looking at Belle, before glancing over at Fayth.

"Right…" Belle sighed. "Fayth-"

"I'm sorry about what I did to Marill. That was..a really messed up thing for me to do to her. I...I've really learned a lot about companionship since I started going to school. Ruff and Tuff have been there for me ever since they hatched, and I don't know where I'd be without them." She looked at Alex. "Without everyone who's helped me." She looked back down at the table. "And I'm sorry I stole Star and Skye from you...but I can't give them back to you. Not now. I've worked so hard getting them to listen and we're finally friends now, we understand eachother, for the most part, and I can't imagine just losing them now after everything and-"

"Fayth." Belle was smiling a little, chuckling even. "I'm not taking them from you. They're yours, not mine. And as for Marill…" She picked up the Aquamouse, cradling it so it could face Fayth. It still looked a little upset, seeing her again. "I think this is the one you should be apologizing to."

Fayth nodded, wiping her eyes a bit. "I'm sorry Marill. You didn't deserve how I treated you, and I don't deserve to be forgiven. But...things are different now. I'm not the same girl I was two years ago. You can ask Ruff and Tuff - my pokemon are like family to me. I wish...I'd like to show you what I should've back then."

The Marill watched her carefully, letting itself out of Belle's arms. It approached her the same way it did back then, looking up at her with its little arms held up. This time, Fayth picked her up and held her tightly, rubbing its back and telling her she was sorry. Belle almost felt something in her throat, and wondered why there was a stupid smile across her face. "So," Fayth asked, looking at the Marill and holding her out. "You wanna join us? I've still got plenty of room on my _PFFFFBLBLBL-_ "

Once again, Fayth's chair slammed against the wall, a stream of powerful Bubblebeam blasting her in the face and completely soaking her. Marill stood on the table, stopping after making sure she was sufficiently drenched, and stuck her tongue out, smiling and teasing her as she hopped back into Belle's arms. The whole table couldn't help but bust out laughing after that.


	6. 6: Back to Basics

Belle did leave later that night...but not before Fayth gave her her Pokegear number. She promised to call and check up every other week, or at least try to, from then on. Belle'd also registered Alexis in private - later that week, she called and personally thanked her. Already things were improving.

Fayth and Alex enjoyed the rest of their week together. Fayth got to meet the real Roxy, sweet and friendly as she was, stern and powerful when she needed to protect something. They got along well, and with Alexis' supervision, Fayth even got to get her first taste of flying. It...wasn't for her, and she nearly threw up when they landed, much to Alex's amusement. All things have to come to an end sooner or later however, and much sooner than anyone hoped they were already on the magnet train back to Johto. Fast as the train went, Alex still couldn't keep from watching out of the window.

"There's so much out there we've never seen before," she said, prompting her friend to open an eyelid. "Different places, different Pokemon, different people...one day I'm going to see it all."

" _We're_ going to see it all, Alley," Fayth said, stretching her arms and crossing them, lazily slumping back in her seat. "But...let's try not and rush things. We still haven't seen everything _here_."

"Yeah...maybe not." Alex kept looking out the window. "Fayth?"

"Yo."

"If I ever do start rushing things...think you'll be able to keep up?"

"Duh, dude. We stick together like peanut butter and jelly - only way you'd get away from me is if you up and disappeared. And last I checked," she said, sitting up to boop her friend on the nose. "You aren't a Ghost-type."

Alex chuckled. "I'll hold you to that."

"You don't think they forgot about us, do you Kerren?" the young boy asked, kicking his legs as he sat on a bench in one of the academy's vacant gyms.

"Course not Suki," Kerren affirmed, stretching out. "Break is _just_ ending, I bet they're gonna be walking through that door in about 5-"

"Five what?" Fayth asked, striding confidently into the gym in her pajamas, a yawning Alex at her side dressed similarly.

"Bout time!" Kerren said, his hands on his hips. "You guys look like you just got out of bed."

"We could say the same," Alex replied, smirking as Kerren noticed he was still in his own pajamas, a top and bottom like Alex, and Suki wore a onesie as Fayth did. "Good tastes."

"Well...who has time to get dressed when you've got a battle to look forward to!" Kerren declared proudly to change the subject, his Boldore, Sylvester, walking up to his side. Suki did a little dance, twirling over to join him, as did Prescilla, his Lopunny.

"We've been waiting for this battle all week!" Suki sang.

"Then we'll try not to disappoint! Alley, you ready?"

"When aren't I?"

A Joy filled in as the referee, as she usually did for when students were merely practicing. Suki handed her the baby carrier and his Togepi, Kamui, who was otherwise with him at all times. She smiled and promised she'd take good care of him during the battle.

"This battle will be a double battle, 4 Pokemon per side. The battle is over when one side has no remaining Pokemon able to fight. Good luck, and remember to have fun!"

Fayth's Pikachu, Ruff, was about to lead out in front, but Fayth crouched down and blocked her. "Sorry girl, but I think I want to try and give Star a chance for now. You can tag in later, okay?"

Ruff crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. _"Pikaa._ "

Fayth smiled, wiping the sleep out her eyes as she took out an Ultra Ball from her pocket, flinging it into the field with her signature curveball pitch. Star the Onix emerged, slithering back to cuddle up with Fayth. Alex, Kerren and Suki sweatdropped.

"Hey, hey, it's nice to see you too! Listen, these two want to battle. I know what you're capable of...I believe in you, okay? Let's do this."

The enormous serpent closed her eyes and nodded at the little girl, slithering back out into the main field, facing Sylvester and Prescilla.

"It's best we have our types bounce off of eachother," Alex said, tossing out her own Poke Ball. "Lex, I choose you!" The Charmeleon came out with his arms crossed, standing with a smirk next to the towering rock serpent.

"Star, protect Lex as if he were me!" Fayth shouted. Star looked back and nodded, a spark of confidence in her eye. She lowered herself to nuzzle her partner for the battle, causing the Charmeleon to lose his balance a bit.

"You sure she's up for this?" Alex asked, cracking her knuckles.

"I know she is."

"Alright Suki, just like we practiced. Don't be afraid to switch if things get hairy, okay? We got your back."

"I know you do, Kerren," Suki said, beaming at his friend. "Okay, you guys take the first move!"

"With pleasure!" Alex shouted right back. "Lex, Thunder Punch Lopunny!"

Fayth smirked, pumped for battle. "Star, use Iron Tail on Boldore!"

The Charmeleon dashed forward, his arm crackling with electricity. Star was fast right behind him, lighting her tail up and preparing to swat Sylvester with it.

"Prescilla, quick, dodge it with Bounce!"

"Lopun!" It wasted no time in thrusting itself high into the air, sending Lex a bit off balance.

"Go ahead and take it Sylvester!" Kerren shouted, his Boldore nodding and bracing itself. The hit landed with a crash, sending Sylvester sliding to the side and kicking up a cloud of dust, but he stayed grounded, raising back up as his crystals began to glow. It stomped its legs, looking a lot more nimble than before. "That's the stuff, Sylvester! Now take advantage of that new speed and use Bulldoze!"

Alex growled. "Lex, use Protect!"

"Charmeleon!" He crossed his arms and a barrier formed in font of him, aimed up to protect himself from Prescilla's decent. She stood on top of the shield, looking down at him smugly.

"Star, hang in there! Fall back and help out Lex!"

Star nodded and rushed back toward her partner, but the sudden rumbling from Sylvester's Bulldoze stopped her in her tracks, making her grunt and wince. Lex's legs began to buckle as well, giving Prescilla the opportunity to kick him under the chin, sending him back dazed, feeling a little slower. The Lopunny hopped back next to Sylvester, and Star slithered her way back to Lex.

"That was a bad hit," Fayth commented as their pokemon regrouped.

"Yeah, Bulldoze reduces the opponent's speed. And that Boldore is already faster than both Lex and Star now," Alex observed, growing a little anxious.

Fayth smirked. "How about we slow them down then?"

"What's the matter girls?" Kerren called, crossing his arms. "Can't keep up?"

"Kerrenn! No taunting!" Suki whined, pouting and pulling on his arm. Kerren groaned.

"Kidding, kidding, your _majesty_!" he joked, pulling his partner into a noogie. Fayth and Alex blew. Well, seeing as they have time to goof around in the middle of a battle...

"Hey Star, Sand Tomb on Boldore!"

"And Lex, Fire Spin on Lopunny!"

"Oh. dodge it!" the boys called in unison, snapping them back to attention.

Both of them were just a little too late, and before they could react, Prescilla and Sylvester were trapped within spinning columns of fire and sand. Kerren grit his teeth. "Sylvester can't take stay in there for too long...Weak Armor trades defense for speed."

"Prescilla, return!" Suki shouted, but the red laser bounced right off of the pillar of fire. "What?"

"Tch. Don't you know? Fire Spin is a trapping move. Your Lopunny isn't going anywhere!" Alex shouted, Lex nodding slyly. "Now Lex, dive in and finish her off with Metal Claw!"

"Star, you go make sure that Boldore doesn't get any bright ideas!" The rock snake nodded, approaching the whirlwind of sand and staring it down cautiously.

Suki swallowed, but then a smirk of confidence appeared. "Alright Prescilla, you know what to do!" Suki nodded at Kerren, who look confused for a moment before getting the idea. "Get ready Sylvester!"

Lex dove into the Fire Spin, his claws glowing brightly prepared to knock out Prescilla...but she was nowhere to be found. "Char...meleon?" He looked up, expecting to see the Lopunny coming down for an attack...only to take an uppercut to the chin, courtesy of Prescilla leaping out of the ground using Dig.

"Lex!" Alex called, seeing the Fire Spin fizzle out. "Get up, get up!"

"Star, go help out Lex with Iron Tail on Lopunny!"

The minute Star diverted her attention, Sand Tomb ended, and the lightning-fast Boldore took full advantage of the diversion. Prescilla stood there watching Star approach with a smile as Lex tried standing himself back up, and right as Star was about to crush her with Iron Tail, Suki returned her, leaving Star to crash into the dusty field, kicking up a veil of sand around them. "Amazing job Prescilla, hang tight," Suki said. He pulled another Poke Ball from his pocket. "Alright Pan, I need you!" One extravagant toss later, out came a Bayleef, who danced around waving its vines.

"Bay!"

Between the switch of Pokemon and the sand around the field, Star and Lex were just a bit distracted, as were their trainers. Suddenly, Sylvester stood in front of Lex, just barely on his knees. Kerren sent his fist forward. "Now, Power Gem!" Lex's pupils shrunk as he was blasted across the arena, taking the super-effective rock-type attack point blank. He was out for the count.

"Lex the Charmeleon is unable to battle!" the Joy called out, marking the first KO of the match.

Alex sighed, holding the pokeball out and returning him. "Come on, we need to turn this around," she mumbled to her partner, tossing out her next Poke Ball. "Go, Nile!" A Vaporeon appeared on the field, running forward to catch up to Star and Sylvester ASAP.

"No sweat," Fayth said with a shrug. She called out to Star. "Star, Boldore has to be weak, wait for an opening!"

She nodded, watching the opposing rock-type with careful eyes.

"Sylvester, jump up and smash the snake with Power Gem!" Up into the air the Boldore lept, crystals glowing brightly as it prepared to finish the Onix off.

"Boool, do-"

"Now Star, Smack Down!"

In an instant, Star flipped forward, finding her mark with the tip of her tail, which glowed a bright orange. Sylvester was sent plummeting to the earth at mach speeds, kicking up a typhoon of dirt and dust as he made impact. Everyone stopped for a moment, waiting for the dust to clear. The Boldore's head was lodged in the ground - his leg twitched a little, but it was clear the rock was knocked out.

Nurse Joy held up a hand, calling the second faint of the match. "Sylvester the Boldore is unable to battle!"

Star looked over Sylvester as the dust settled, a somewhat horrified expression on the snake's face - she didn't realize she hit him THAT hard. Fayth paused her celebration, noticing Star's expected reaction. "Star, it's okay! He's gonna be alright - you had to knock him out - you saw what he did to Lex, right? Stick up for your partners!" Star looked back down at Sylvester, relaxing into a sorry look as she nodded and readied herself with Nile.

Kerren returned Sylvester. "Thanks Sylvester, you rocked." He looked back up across at the girls. "Vaporeon huh?" he called, taking out his next ball. "Alright, show them what you can do, Ivo!" An Elekid appeared on the field alongside Pan, flashing its sparks.

"Ele!"

"Pretty brave of you sending out an electric type with a ground type still on the field," Fayth mocked, Star and Nile squaring up to their new opponents. "Star, lets get him with Sand Tomb!" Star spun her body around, generating another sand twister.

"Oh, no you don't!" Suki called. "Pan, intercept it with Vine Whip!" The Bayleef hopped in front of the approaching sand twister, blowing it away by using its vines as a propeller.

"No way...Star, don't let up, use Rock Slide!" She hesitated, but conjured up a flurry of glowing rocks, sending it toward Pan and Ivo with a slam of her tail.

Alex smirked, feeling a little more confident. "Nile, assist with Aurora Beam!" Nile was quick on her feet, taking aim at each individual stone and freezing them all solid for an icy combination move.

Suki grimaced. "Come on Pan, Protect!" Up came shield of light, protecting the Bayleef from the vicious attack.

"Ivo, dodge it and counter that Vaporeon with Thunderbolt!" Kerren called, smiling wildly with the fire of battle. He made the dodging motion as Ivo did, noticing the sparks building up between Ivo's horns. Star noticed it as well, and having a good idea on how water got along with electricity from watching Fayth and Alex spar, she dived in front of Nile to absorb the oncoming Thunderbolt...giving Pan just enough time to counter-attack her with a doubly-effective Mega Drain.

"Star, no!" Fayth called out after her. The Onix's eyes were a mix of pain and relief, glad she was able to protect Nile at least a little bit before being taken out. Still, her body twisted and contorted, before going limp and landing against the ground with a loud thud. There was Joy's call again.

"Star the Onix is unable to battle! It looks like things are starting to heat up!"

Fayth sighed, calling Star back to her Ultra Ball. "Thanks Star, you did your best. I'm proud of you." She gave the ball a kiss on top, stuffing it back into her pocket.

"Think we'd still be losing if you just used Ruff and Tuff?" Alex asked, calling for Nile to fall back.

"She needs the experience, Alley. And so do Double-Double-Ds and that Ghastly of yours," Fayth retorted, making a show of crossing her arms and looking her partner up and down.

Alex sighed, chuckling a bit. "Okay, I'm sorry. And her name's Killer G."

Fayth snorted. "Pfft, Killer G? That's like naming your Golem Stone Cold."

"Hey, that's what she wanted. It's not any worse than naming your baby Pokemon Ruff and Tuff," Alex said, snickering.

"Touche."

Suki tapped his foot on the other side of the arena. "Uhm, hellooOOOO, we're having a battle! How rude!"

"By the way," Kerren said, a smug grin on his face. He put his hands on his hips mocking the way Fayth did. "Pretty brave of you keeping your Rock/Ground type out up against a Grass type."

"Kerrennn," Suki whined. "I said..." He giggled in spite of himself. "Okay, you can have that one. Guys, we're ready when you are!"

"Pika?" Ruff said, pulling on Fayth's shoulder and pointing out into the field.

"Yeah, you're up. Let's shut down that Elekid." The Pikachu fist pumped, running out into the field and pumping out her chest, standing alongside Nile. Nile simply rolled her eyes, just ready to win this already.

The two teams squared up once again on the battlefield - Ruff the Pikachu and Nile the Vaporeon on the girls' side, Pan the Bayleef and Ivo the Elekid on the boys'. "Not a lot of testosterone in the gym today," Kerren dully noted.

"Alright Nile, Aurora Beam that Bayleef!" Alex called fiercely. Nile ran out ahead, Ruff at her side, and fired the colorful beam Pan's way.

"Pan, dodge it!"

"Ivo, hit Vaporeon with your Thunderbolt!"

The Bayleef got out of the way just in time. Ivo's Thunderbolt instead found itself attracted to Ruff, who grinned devilishly as her body began to surge with electricity. Fayth shared the grin. "Ruff has the ability Lightning Rod - which means all electric attacks are drawn to her and given a boost! Which means your Elekid can't do a thing! Now Ruff, use Submission!"

Ivo stepped back in surprise, getting tackled and grabbed by the aggressive Pikachu, as they began somersaulting in the ground. Kerren grit his teeth. "Ivo, hurry up and Karate Chop the ground!" Ivo struck the ground with a glowing hand, sending him and Ruff into the air, separating them.

"Nile, keep up the Aurora Beam!" Alex's Vaporeon kept up its assault, not giving Pan any kind of opening.

"Paaaan, you gotta get out of there! Use Vine Whip to jump, and let her have it!" The Bayleef nodded, launching itself high into the air courtesy of its Vine Whip attack, making Nile cease fire.

At the the apex of its jump, Pan began to somersault down, vines spinning with powerful momentum aimed right for Nile.

Alex focused on the Bayleef. Come on...come on... "Now Nile, Aurora Beam, full power!" A fantastic, colorful ray of ice shot from the Vaporeon's mouth up at Pan, who was unable to dodge it thanks to its momentum. The Bayleef became completely encased in ice - which shattered upon impact with the ground, sending Pan rolling away, unconscious.

"PAN!" Suki cried, needing Kerren to hold him back from running in the middle of the field.

"Sorry, but Pan the Bayleef is unable to battle! All trainers are on their final Pokemon!"

"Pan, return..." Suki called, wiping his eyes and returning the injured Bayleef to her ball. "Thanks, Pan, you were fantastic. Alright Prescilla, I'm counting out you!"

The Lopunny came back out onto the field, stretching out and prepping herself.

Meanwhile, Ruff and Ivo were going at it, clashing, punching and scratching in-between their trainers' called attacks. "Come on Ivo," Kerren called, prompting Ivo to back up off of his attacker. "We're not completely out of options here!"

Fayth called out to Ruff. "Then let's fix that. Alright Ruff, use Attract!"

"What?! No, Ivo, don't fall for it!" The Pikachu did a 180 with her demeanor, putting her hands on her hips and slyly approaching the Elekid. Ivo became entranced in her sway, cancelling whatever attack he had planned as he swooned over his fellow electric-type.

"Perfect," Fayth sneered. "Now, Sweet Kiss!" Ruff flirtatiously leaned in and gave Ivo a big smooch, and leaving the poor Elekid like she left all Pokemon who swooned over her - dazed and confused.

Kerren reached out. "Aggggh noo! Snap out of it Ivo!" Not a word seemed to get through to him though - only thing he could think about was the oh-so attractive Pikachu about to slam him into a wall with Submission.

 _Slam!_

"Aww, Ivo the Elekid is unable to battle!"

" _Ele...kid.."_

Kerren facepalmed. "Ahh, come on back, Ivo," he sighed, calling the dazed Elekid back. "Better luck next time, huh?" He turned to Suki. "Well, it's all on you, Suki."

"Already on it! Come up now, Prescilla!"

Ruff looked down, not at all expecting the Lopunny digging up beneath it, and taking the same uppercut Lex took earlier in the match...except _this_ one took the both of them high into the air.

"Wha...where did she come from?!" Fayth asked, panicking just a bit.

"Pre-occupied with Nile," Alex grunted, watching Nile stand back up from the last attack she took.

Prescilla grabbed the Pikachu's arms as they reached the apex of their jump, Ruff still dazed from taking the super-effective hit. "Now Prescilla, Circle Throw!"

Three flips and a toss hard enough to cut through the air, and Ruff was sent plummeting to the ground as if she were shot out of a cannon. A tsunami of dust blew up into the air as she slammed into the earth. "No, Ruff!" Fayth shouted, shielding her eyes from the dirt. Crushing any dreams of Ruff getting back up after that, Prescilla landed square into the Pikachu's chest, knocking whatever air she had left out, and guaranteeing she wouldn't be moving again 'till she got to a Pokemon Center.

"And Ruff the Pikachu is now unable to battle! It's now a 1 on 1 between Alex's Vaporeon, and Suki's Lopunny!"

Suki jumped up and down, cheering happily. "That was beautiful Prescilla! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!"

Fayth grimaced, seeing the Lopunny jump off of her companion. She ran out into the field and scooped up Ruff. "You okay girl?" The Pikachu slowly opened her eyes halfway, giving her a weak thumbs up. Fayth sighed with relief. "We'll get you patched up in just a minute. Think you can handle this, Alley?" she asked her partner as she returned to Alex's side.

"I can handle anything," Alex growled. She wasted no time in trying to wrap this battle up. "Nile, set up Mist!"

"Por!" From the Vaporeon's mouth came a chilling mist that quickly spread all throughout the gym. No one could see hardly three feet in front of them - except for Nile.

"Now! Find and hit her with Bubble Beam!" Nile breathed, catching its breath from the attacks it took earlier. She ran and found Prescilla, firing the Bubble Beam on sight.

"Prescilla, dig!" Suki called, squinting his eyes to try and peer into the mist. Prescilla wasted no time, burrowing underground just in time to avoid the attack.

"Oh no you don't," Alex shouted, "Nile, jump up and Bubble Beam the field!" Nile did just that, transforming the previously solid, earthy field into groggy, muddy terrain. Coupled with the mist, it almost looked like a swamp.

Sure enough, Prescilla quickly swam her way out of the filth, shaking the mud from her ears. She glared a look of death at Nile as her silhouette landed in front of her. A little dirt from digging around? Sure, no problem. But anything _thick_ , like slime or mud? Ah-uh.

"Guess we won't be Digging or Bouncing away now..." Suki said, watching the faint silhouettes in the mist.

"Let's end this! Nile, use Double Team and surround her!" Copy after copy split from Nile, forming a circle around the grounded rabbit. Prescilla stood her ground, eyes darting from one shadowy sihoulette to another. "Now, Bubble Beam, full power!"

"Thunderbolt!" Suki cried. All of Nile's copies open their mouths at once, flurries of powerful bubbles converging toward the center. Prescilla leaned all the way back, the powerful attack glazing right over her. She held her arms out all the way on either side, fingers pointed, and electricity surged from the center of her body to her fingertips. Using the mud to pivot herself, she span around, firing bolts of electricity in a sweeping, clockwise motion. The mist in the air only helped amplify the power of the attack, and one-by-one each of the Double Team copies faded, until the real Nile took the attack - paralyzing her and stopping the Vaporeon right in her tracks, a constant, super-effective stream of electricity overtaking her.

"Nile no! Break out of it!" Alex called, seeing the flashing bolts of lightning through the mist.

"Yes! You found her Prescilla! Now, focus the electricity!"

"Lo, pun!" Standing back up, she brought both of her arms together to form one, powerful, continuous Thunderbolt. Slowly she walked closer and closer to Nile, the Vaporeon completely helpless - her legs buckled and she was at the point of crying out.

Alex snapped out of her battle rage hearing Nile call out in pain. "St..stop! She's had enough!"

Suki felt it too. "Prescilla, that's enough!"

The Lopunny focused the Thunderbolt into one last, strong, shock, which blasted Nile off her feet, rolling her a little ways away on her side. She cooed weakly, moving to try and stand one last time before taking a muddy heel to the face, knocking her away and out for good. The mist faded from the field.

"Nile the Vaporeon is unable to battle!" The joy raised the flag pointing toward the boys' side of the field. "Kerren and Suki are the winners!"

Alex returned Nile to her pokeball, taking a deep sigh. "You did alright Nile, take a good rest."

Fayth crossed stood at her side with Ruff in her arms, having to reach up to put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, not every day we have a match _that_ close, right? Lighten up."

The frown on Alex's face gradually lightened, and she let out another heavy sigh. "You're right." Fayth held out her hand to her taller friend, leading them over midfield to shake hands with their opponents.

"A most excellent match, Alex, Fayth!" Suki exclaimed, shaking both of their hands frantically with excitement. "It came really close!"

"Yeah..." Alex said, halfheartedly smiling. "Closer than I thought it'd be."

"Your Lopunny put it some real work back there," Fayth sighed, holding Ruff in her arms. Prescilla walked up to Suki's side, coming back from grabbing a towel and a bottle of water.

"Thank you, though she can be a little mean...I guess queens have to show a fiery side too though!"

"Your Pokemon weren't slouches either," Kerren commented, looking at the pokeball in his hand. "Li'l Ivo couldn't do a thing against that Pikachu of yours."

"He wouldn't be the first," Fayth shrugged, taking the compliment.

Alex spoke up. "Let's go get everyone healed up. Classes are starting in about an hour...how about you guys have lunch with us today?"

The offer surprised even Fayth. Though she was expressive, Alex wasn't exactly the most social kid at the school - come to think of it, Fayth hardly ever remembered Alex talking to anyone other than her. Kerren practically lit up from the invitation. "Yeah, sure! Where do you two sit at? We'll be there!"

Alex chuckled a little at his enthusiasm, explaining how their spot was somewhere isolated in the corner of the cafeteria - since it was too cold to eat outside this time of year. Nurse Joy led the four of them to the school's Pokemon Center, and later in the day, the four of them sat together during lunch period. They spent the whole time talking and telling stories and jokes, getting to know one another. It felt...it felt fresh. When she'd started school, Alex figured she'd just come in, burn through her four years to learn what she needed to, and then she'd be out on her journey. Her mother Alexis told her before she started her first day it was going to be so much more than that. She didn't see it at the time, but looking around her now, seeing her best friend at her side, new friends in front of them, and pokemon all around laughing and enjoying themselves...maybe this was what she meant. She thought back to that first day of school, almost two years ago now.

 _"As for why I'm here? My mom got me enrolled as soon as I turned six. You know, the usual-"_

 _"-'get out and make some friends' speech?" The little girl snickered. "Makes sense - I can tell you're not exactly the 'social' type."_

 _"...is it that obvious?"_

 _"Yeah! I mean, look at you - you can barely look me in the eyes!" The shorter girl slid directly in front of her, grabbing her arms lightly. "Here - face me."_

 _"Are we really doing this?"_

 _"Yeah! Come on, make eye contact."_

 _Alex slowly turned her head toward the girl. Her big, magenta eyes weren't at all scrutinizing, or prodding, or looking down at her. All she saw were the eyes of someone who genuinely not only wanted to help her - but who wanted help herself at her side. She saw the same expression then that she did when that Charmander approached her in the forest that while ago, when she was lost and confused. Didn't know what to do with her, or what to do with himself - but did know he wanted to try and figure that out with her. And now here this random girl was, making her feel the exact same way she felt then._

 _"Well?" Fayth asked, an honest smile across her face._

 _Alex couldn't help but return it. "Okay, okay, I'm looking."_

 _"Good!" She slid back out of her face, putting her hands on her hips. "See? We're already making progress!"_

They were, weren't they?

. . .


End file.
